After five months, the first grain ship left Ukraine

International desk: The first ship carrying grain from the port of Ukraine has left the Ukrainian port under the Moscow-Kiev agreement brokered by the United Nations to alleviate the global food crisis. Through this, Ukraine resumed grain exports to the world, which had been suspended for more than five months due to the war, from Monday.

Turkish and Ukrainian officials said the first ship carrying grain left the southern Ukrainian port of Odessa early Monday morning local time.

Russia has blocked Ukraine's ports since last February. For more than five months, the war between two of the world's leading food and energy exporters has led to a global food and energy crisis.

On July 22, the officials of Kiev and Moscow signed an agreement in Turkey with the aim of supplying 2.5 million tons of wheat and corn stuck in Ukraine to the world market in order to solve the global crisis. According to the agreement, the start of food grain exports from Ukraine is expected to reduce the global food crisis and the price of food grains in the world market.

Before the grain ship left Ukraine, a Turkish statement said the Sierra Leone-flagged ship would dock in Lebanon. More shipments are planned in the coming weeks.

Under the agreement, a Joint Coordination Center (JCC) has been established in Istanbul, Turkey to oversee Ukraine's food grain exports. JCC said the vessel was transporting about 26,000 tons of corn and would arrive in Turkish waters on August 2.

Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov wrote on Facebook, "Today, Ukraine has taken another step with partners to fight world hunger." The operationalization of the ports will add at least 1 billion foreign exchange revenue to the economy of Ukraine. At the same time, it will create opportunities for next year's planning for the agricultural sector of Ukraine.

Kubrakov said at least 16 more ships are expected to leave Ukraine in the next few weeks from ports in the Odesa region.

Under the terms of the agreement, a joint coordination center was opened in Ankara, the Turkish capital, to ensure the safe passage of various commercial vessels carrying grain stuck in Ukraine to the Black Sea. The center is run by the United Nations, Russia and Turkey.

According to diplomats, Russia agreed not to target any shipments or ports while in transit in the deal. However, Russia launched a missile attack on Odessa port the day after the signing of the agreement. Ukraine, on the other hand, has promised to transport cargo ships through seas to get mines.

The much-anticipated deal took nearly two months to reach, and the deal will last for 120 days. However, the contract period can be renewed if both parties agree.

A global food crisis has developed as Ukraine's grain exports have stopped due to the Russian blockade. Prices of other food products, especially wheat-based breads and pastas, have increased significantly. Apart from this, cooking oil and fertilizer prices have also increased across the world.

Three ports in southern Ukraine—Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdeni—are believed to be at the center of exports.

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