A ship loaded with corn bound for Germany and two other ships have made their way across the Black Sea – despite the tense situation. Meanwhile, Russia is doing business with Pakistan.
Despite the Russian announcement that it would not allow further exports via the Black Sea, three freighters have left Ukrainian ports. A UN spokeswoman in Istanbul said that the Ukrainian, Turkish and UN delegations, who work together in a specially set up center according to the grain agreement, had agreed on this. The Russian delegation had been informed. The grain agreement actually provides for controls with representatives of all four delegations. According to UN data, among the ships is the “SSI Challenger” loaded with corn and bound for Germany.
Two representatives control
The inspection of ships in Istanbul will be carried out by representatives of the UN and Turkey, it said. 46 investigations were completed on Monday. The ships are inspected to make sure they don’t have any weapons loaded or anything like that.
Russia suspended the agreement mediated by Turkey and the UN on Saturday. Moscow cited drone attacks by Kiev on its Black Sea fleet as justification. Ukraine used the protection of the corridor for these attacks. At a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Monday, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebensia said Moscow “cannot allow ships to pass unhindered without our inspection.”
According to the UN, 9.8 million tons of goods have been shipped under the initiative so far.
The wheat trade in the other direction
Meanwhile, Pakistan has struck a new deal with Russia for the supply of more than 300,000 tons of wheat. According to its own statements on Tuesday, the government in Islamabad hopes to counteract an impending hunger crisis. Grain yields in the South Asian country of more than 225 million people have fallen significantly this year. The reasons were a heat wave and then record floods that destroyed large areas of grain fields.
Source: Stern
