‘Coordination continues for 1st ship loaded with grain to set off from Ukrainian ports’

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - Coordination efforts are continuing for the first ship loaded with grain to depart from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said Sunday.

“We are working hard at the Joint Coordination Center established in Istanbul for the safe delivery of the grain waiting in Ukrainian ports to the countries all over the world,” said the ministry on Twitter.

“Coordination between authorities continues for the first ship loaded with grain to start sailing from Ukrainian ports as soon as possible,” it added.

With the mediation of Türkiye and the UN, Ukraine and Russia on Friday signed an agreement in Istanbul on the resumption of Ukraine’s grain shipments from Black Sea ports.

Under the deal, reached on a UN-led plan during talks in Istanbul, a coordination center has been established to carry out joint inspections at the entrances and exits of harbors, and to ensure the safety of the routes.

Internationally praised for its mediator role, Türkiye coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv to open a corridor from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to resume global grain shipments long halted due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war that started on Feb.24.