Turkiye prepares new mechanism for export of Ukrainian grain
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan (photo: Getty Images)
The Turkish government is developing a new mechanism for exporting Ukrainian grain to global markets. The new scheme is intended to be discussed with Russia, according to the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan.
It is reported that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will discuss a new mechanism to allow Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit to Turkiye.
"The previous grain deal worked within a certain mechanism, now it has been seen that there is a possibility of going with a different mechanism, and now there are efforts to concretise this possibility," stated Foreign Minister Fidan.
The Turkish Foreign Minister also noted that some vessels managed to export Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea even without reaching a formal agreement.
"We want to make clear this de-facto (situation) with the new mechanism," he added.
Operation of the grain corridor
In mid-July of last year, Russia withdrew from the grain deal, which allowed the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. Following this, Ukraine decided to resume exports without the participation of the country that supports terrorism. Russians attempted to obstruct the operation of the grain corridor in various ways, including attacks on ports and infrastructure.
By August, Ukraine had opened temporary corridors for civilian trading vessels. The routes were primarily designed for ships stranded in Ukrainian ports since the beginning of the conflict.
Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kubrakov, noted that Ukraine had exported over 20 million tons of goods from Odesa ports to 32 countries worldwide through the Ukrainian corridor in the past 6 months. According to him, the ports of Odesa are increasing cargo handling, with 6.3 million tons exported in January, a figure nearly equal to the pre-war level.
