Through their representatives in Istanbul, the participants in the Black Sea Grain Initiative continue to discuss and make decisions on the movement of vessels, and they are also holding talks at all levels to prevent the initiative from being blocked.
Saviano Abreu, the head of communications and spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine, stated this in comments to the CFTS portal.
According to him, all parties must discuss and agree on any changes to the Black Sea Grain Initiative. "The UN is ready to support these discussions. With the support of Turkey, we are working tirelessly to ensure the extension of the agreement. Ukraine needs it, and the world needs it. It is too important and we cannot lose. It is not an easy agreement, but we will study all the possibilities for it to be extended in March."
According to the United Nations, over 21 million tons of agricultural products have been transported safely from Ukraine through the Black Sea to over 40 countries since the launch of the initiative. Out of this quantity, 426,000 tons of wheat was delivered under the auspices of the World Food Program for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
In addition, about 20% of the agricultural products were exported directly to low-income or below-average-income countries. "Every ship that leaves Ukrainian ports with agricultural products has a positive impact on global food security. The initiative has a direct impact on global food prices when the world, especially low-income people, is facing a food crisis. Prices on global markets have been steadily falling since the introduction of the agreement," Abreu said.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative will expire on 18 March. Currently, Ukrainian businesses and authorities are emphasizing that it is critically necessary not only to extend the initiative under the current conditions but also to fully open the Black Sea to commercial shipping.
"The rules of the game should be the same for all the participants in it. Is shipping free for everyone or are the requirements the same: inspections, the special procedure for registering ships, equal participation of representatives of all countries in this bureaucracy," said Andrii Stavnytser, the CEO of the TIS group of terminals.
In addition, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba and Minister for Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov have issued a joint appeal to Ukraine’s partners, in which they called on the United Nations and Turkey, which are the guarantors of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, to demand that Russia immediately end the artificial delays in the operation of the "grain corridor," stop attempting to use food as a weapon, and unblock commercial shipping to/from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
