2 yıl önce

More grain ships depart from Ukraine under Istanbul deal

This July, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

AA

The parties are currently negotiating a possible extension beyond the grain deal's end date

Four more ships have left Ukrainian ports under the landmark Istanbul grain export deal, Türkiye's National Defence Ministry said.

Saturday's statement, which did not disclose the point of origin of the ships, said shipments from Ukrainian ports have continued as planned.

A day earlier, nine ships had departed Ukraine ports.

The three Ukrainian Black Sea ports had been blocked after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February.

The parties are currently negotiating a possible extension and expansion beyond the deal's November 19 end date to include Russian grain and fertiliser exports.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments. The deal was initially signed for 120 days.

'No obstacle' to extension

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced optimism on the extension of the landmark deal.

"There is no obstacle to extending the shipping agreement. I saw this again in my phone call with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy last night and in my meeting with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. But in the meantime, if there is any blockage, there is no obstacle for us to overcome," Erdogan told reporters on Thursday while returning from a trip to Azerbaijan.

Some Russian authorities have complained that Western sanctions ''indirectly'' hinder the country’s grain and fertiliser exports despite the deal.

Since the first ship left Ukraine under the deal on August 1, more than 365 ships with over 8 million tons of agricultural products have left ports.