Black Sea Grain Initiative: Ukraine and Türkiye agree to resume inspections

Representatives of Ukraine and Türkiye have agreed to resume registration and inspection of vessels entering Ukrainian ports.

Source: Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for the Development of Hromadas [hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories – ed.], Territories and Infrastructure, following a meeting with Türkiye’s Defence Minister Hulusi Akar.

Quote: "We agreed to resume registration and inspection of vessels arriving for loading with Ukrainian grain," Kubrakov wrote.

Details: He recalled that Russia has stopped registering new vessels to enter the Black Sea since 10 April and refused to work according to Ukrainian port plans. Such actions by the Russian Federation have made it impossible to draw up inspection plans and effectively stopped the entry of new vessels under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

No ships have been inspected in Istanbul for the last two days, 17 and 18 April, and no inspection plan has been drawn up.

Kubrakov states that the Ukrainian side proposed  on Tuesday, 18 April that at least two inspections of the outbound and two inspections of the inbound vessels be conducted. The proposal was supported by the Türkiye side, but it was not implemented due to Russia’s position.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that Russia had violated the official procedures of the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) [the organisation responsible for the overall supervision and coordination of the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports – ed.] and the terms of the grain agreement, specifically by demanding that the activities of Ukrainian ports be regulated by determining the vessels that can participate in the initiative.

"Demands to control and interfere in the work of Ukrainian ports are unacceptable to us," he stressed.

Kubrakov noted that although ship inspections will resume, Ukraine will continue to hold working consultations with the UN and Türkiye on ways to ensure the full implementation of the agreement in compliance with the obligations of all parties and the JCC procedures.

Background: Grain shipments through the Black Sea Initiative have been suspended for two days in a row, as Russia violates the terms of the agreement.

On 17 April, the Russian side blocked ship inspections in Turkish territorial waters for the second time.

On Tuesday, at the invitation of Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov will travel to Turkey to discuss the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

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