A Ukrainian grain ship left the port of Odessa on Monday, the first shipment of Ukrainian grain to set sail from the port as part of a deal to unlock Ukraine's Black Sea ports, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said. .
“The first grain ship since the Russian Aggression has left port. Thanks to the support of all our partner countries and the UN, we were able to fully implement the agreement signed in Istanbul,” the minister wrote on Twitter.
Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations have sealed an agreement to ensure the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, which were blocked after Russia invaded the country on February 24.
“Unlocking the ports will provide at least $1 billion in foreign exchange for the economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan for next year's seeding,” Kubrakov said in a separate statement released by his ministry.
“In the ports of Greater Odessa, another 16 ships are already waiting their turn. These are the ships that have been blocked since the beginning of the Russian invasion,” he said.
"Today Ukraine, together with its partners, takes another step towards preventing world hunger," he added.
The Kremlin said on Monday that news of the first grain ship to leave the port of Odessa, Ukraine, under a Turkish-brokered deal was "very positive".
The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni set sail from Odessa with a load of corn, bound for Beirut, Lebanon.
Sources: investing.com
