Grain to be supplied from Odessa, Yuzhny, Chernomorsk ports, says Kiev
That said, a member of the Ukrainian delegation at the talks Rustem Umerov expressed hope their number would be increased in the future
KIEV, July 21. /TASS/. Grain will be exported from Ukraine through three ports, among them Odessa, Yuzhny, and Chernomorsk, a member of the Ukrainian delegation at the talks Rustem Umerov said on Wednesday.
"Exports will run through three ports: Odessa, Yuzhny, and Chernomorsk," he told Ukraine’s Obshchestvennoye media outlet.
That said, Umerov expressed hope their number would be increased in the future. "All recommendations of the naval forces, the armed forces should be observed. There are safe corridors, the routes that we have developed together with the military, and all civil vessels will sail along those routes. We will sell grain to all. And all ships that may freely stick to those recommendations, may call at our (ports - TASS)," he said.
An UN-sponsored monitoring group in Istanbul will control the observance of safety rules, Umerov added. "There should be no Russian vessels in our water areas. We do not trust them, even if they sign an agreement with the UN <…>. Though on those corridors we have developed a mechanism with no control of those vessels in the sea. A monitoring group will only be working with its mandate, and they will only look over to make sure those vessels have no arms," he explained.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said earlier this week the grain export talks were at an advanced stage, adding that Kiev expected agreements to be signed.
The talks on establishment of a grain corridor took place on July 13 in Istanbul, with military delegations of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and representatives of the UN participating. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said after the meeting that an important step was made in Istanbul towards ensuring safe and reliable supply of food from Ukraine via the Black Sea. On July 15, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said participants in the Turkey-hosted meeting on grain mostly supported Moscow’s proposals, adding that the work to hammer out a final document on the Black Sea Initiative would be completed in the near future.