UN working on extending grain initiative for a year
ANASTASIIA ZHARYKOVA – TUESDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2022, 19:01
The United Nations is considering the possibility of extending theBlack Sea Grain Initiative for a year.
This was announced during a meeting of the UN General Assembly, as reported by the press service of Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
The grain agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain from the Velyka Odesa ports [Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi - ed.], was initially concluded for 120 days and expires at the end of November.
Csaba Kőrösi, President of the UN General Assembly, has highly appreciated the grain initiative, which has enabled approximately 7 million tonnes of grain to be exported.
"We will act together to fully implement vital supplies of food from Ukrainian ports," he added.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that UN Secretary General António Guterres and his team were working on extending the grain initiative for a year and conducting intense negotiations in this regard.
Background:
- As of 11 October, 7 million tonnes of agricultural products have been exported since the departure of the first ship. 316 ships have left Ukrainian ports loaded with food heading for Asian, European and African countries.
- The European Business Association asked the UN and Turkey to extend the grain initiative and to put the port of Mykolaiv on the list of ports.
- There is a queue of 120 ships waiting to enter and exit from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Ship inspections are now taking 10-15 days due to a shortage of inspectors.
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