MADRID, July 29. /TASS/. Russia’ strike at the military infrastructure of the Odessa seaport on July 23is not supposed to entail problems with the implementation of grain export agreements, Fahrettin Altun, communications director of the presidential administration, said in an interview with Friday’s issue of the Spanish El Mundo.
"I don’t think that the attack near the Odessa port will entail problems with the implementation of the grain agreement," he noted. "The attack caused no problems that could hamper loading procedures."
"Naturally, it is expected that all parties are to take steps to ensure timely and complete implementation of this agreement, he noted. "Turkey will maintain close contacts with the Ukrainian and Russian sides, as it has had."
According to Altun, the Istanbul agreement has prevented a global food crisis. "The key problem for us is to ensure security of ships with grain sailing from Ukraine to destinations across the globe after necessary checks," he added.
A package of documents geared to resolve the problem of food and fertilizer supplies on global markets was signed on July 22 in Istanbul. Under the Russia-UN memorandum, the United Nations undertakes to work toward lifting anti-Russian restrictions hampering exports of agricultural products and fertilizers. Another document envisages a mechanism of exporting grain from Ukraine-controlled Black Sea ports. An agreement between Russia, Turkey and the United Nations provides for the establishment of a four-side coordination center to search ships carrying grain to prevent weapons smuggling and avoid provocations.
Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported earlier that Russian forces had delivered a strike by precision weapons against the premises of the ship repair plant in Odessa, destroying a warship in the dock and a depot of US-supplied Harpoon missiles. According to Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the strike at the military infrastructure cannot and will not delay grain loading in line with the Istanbul agreements.