In this photo provided by the Press Office of the President of Ukraine, a Turkish cargo ship Polarnet loads Ukrainian grain at a port in the Odesa region, Ukraine, Friday, July 29, 2022.
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In this photo provided by the Press Office of the President of Ukraine, a Turkish cargo ship Polarnet loads Ukrainian grain at a port in the Odesa region, Ukraine, Friday, July 29, 2022.
AP
ANKARA, Turkey —The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain has departed from the port of Odesa, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Monday.
The ministry said the Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship, the Razoni, had left the port of Odesa for Lebanon. A statement from the United Nations said the Razoni was carrying more than 26,000 tonnes of corn.
Data from Razoni’s Automatic Identification System, a safety tracking device for ships at sea, showed the vessel was slowly leaving the dock at the port of Odesa on Monday morning with a tugboat.
The ship is expected to arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday, where it will be inspected, before being allowed to continue, the ministry said.
The grain of corn will head towards Lebanon, a tiny Mideast country within the reach of what the World Bank has described as one of the world’s worst financial crises in more than 150 years. A 2020 explosion at its main port in Beirut has destroyed its capital city and destroyed grain cellars there, part of which collapsed following a fire that lasted the past week. .
Alexander Kubrakov, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine said: “Today, Ukraine, together with its partners, is taking another step towards preventing world hunger.
He said it would also help Ukraine.
“The opening of ports will bring at least USD 1 billion in foreign exchange revenue to the economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan for next year,” said Mr. Kubrakov.
The Turkish ministry statement said other ships would also leave Ukrainian ports through secure corridors in accordance with agreements signed in Istanbul on July 22, but did not provide further details. details.
Russia and Ukraine have signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations that pave the way for Ukraine – one of the world’s key countries – to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural commodities that are currently trapped. stuck in Black Sea ports invaded by Russia.
The agreements also allow Russia to export grain and fertilizer.
