The world is not receiving enough Ukrainian agricultural products, and their prices on the global markets are rising because of the Russian sabotage of the "grain corridor" (the humanitarian maritime corridor that the Black Sea Grain Initiative established to allow ships to export grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine). Because of this, Ukraine is demanding the restoration of free commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Yurii Vaskov stated this in comments on the Al Jazeera television channel.
"Ukraine plays a key role in ensuring a balance in the global food system. The availability of Ukrainian grain on global markets is reflected in prices, and it ensures global food security," Vaskov said.
According to him, only 40% of exports have been possible under the Black Sea Grain Initiative since October because Russia is hindering ship inspections in the Bosporus. Russia first unilaterally reduced the number of inspection teams to three and later resorted to prolonging the time of ship inspections and checking indicators outside its area of competence. "As a result, on average we have no more than six inspections per day, which is a critically low indicator," he said.
Noting that the grain agreement will expire on 18 March, the deputy minister said that negotiations with the grain initiative’s partners (the UN and Turkey) on the terms and conditions for its extension have already begun.
"We expect it to be extended for at least a year. The agricultural market should understand and plan shipment volumes for a long period and not for 120 days," said Vaskov.
"We are also drawing the international community’s attention to the fact that the blocking of commercial shipping even in wartime grossly violates the international conventions to which Ukraine is a party. We are once again calling on the United Nations International Maritime Organization, which is the guarantor of the safety of global shipping, to do everything possible to restore commercial shipping in the Black Sea," Vaskov added.
Now, a queue of over 150 vessels has formed in the inspection zone in the Bosporus because of Russia's actions. The vast majority of them have been waiting several weeks for inspection.
Earlier, the United Nations expressed the hope that the Black Sea Grain Initiative will be extended in March.
Ukrainian businesses and authorities have emphasized that it is critically necessary not only to extend the grain initiative under the current conditions but also to fully restore commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
