ANKARA, August 1. /TASS/. The Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni dry cargo ship, which was the first to leave with a grain cargo from a Ukrainian port as part of the ‘food deal’, is due to arrive in Istanbul on August 2, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"The ship loaded with corn, which left Odessa on Monday, is expected to arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday," the statement said.
It notes that after being inspected at a sea control point near Istanbul, the ship will pass through the Bosphorus Strait and head for its destination. The dry cargo vessel is carrying more than 26,000 tonnes of grain and is bound for the Lebanese port of Tripoli.
It was previously reported that the first caravan with the Ukrainian grain will consist of 16 dry cargo ships. It will be escorted by drones. In addition, representatives of the Istanbul-based joint grain export coordination center will monitor the passage of vessels using satellites.
Istanbul agreements
A package of documents geared towards resolving the issue 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 the 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, Ukraine and the United Nations provides for the establishment of a four-party coordination center to search ships carrying grain in order to prevent weapons smuggling and avoid any false flag.