The governments of France and Romania were expected to sign an agreement, the implementation of which should help the latter to increase the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to developing countries, on 12 September.
The Economic Pravda publication reported this, citing the Reuters news agency, the CFTS portal reports.
"Tomorrow, I will sign with Romania an accord that will allow Ukraine to get even more grains out ... towards Europe and developing countries, notably the Mediterranean countries that need it for food," French Transport Minister Clement Beaune said on Sunday.
According to a draft of the French-Romanian agreement seen by Reuters, Paris would cooperate in developing a project aimed at increasing efficiency at the port of Galati, equipping border points in northern Romania, maximizing the use of grain containers stationed in the port of Constanța, as well as increasing the capacity there and in the Sulina canal.
According to the report, implementation of the agreement would also help to build a medium-term strategy on the axes of the corridor between Romania and Ukraine and provide pilings to optimize ship traffic.
Beaune also dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assertion that almost none of the Ukrainian grain that is being exported under the Black Sea Grain Initiative reaches African countries.
As reported earlier, 16 ships carrying 0.5 million tons of agricultural products had departed for Africa from Ukraine under the grain initiative as of 7 September.
UPDATE: The governments of France and Romania signed an agreement that will allow more grain to be exported from Ukraine to Europe and beyond on Monday.
"I have signed with my Romanian counterpart Ionel Scrioșteanu an agreement that facilitates the export of Ukrainian grain through the provision of our logistical expertise, alongside [Ukraine’s] Ambassador Omelchenko Vadym. Our solidarity with Ukraine is total," Beaune tweeted.
