The Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center authorized the departure of five more ships with a total of 83,241 tonnes of food, according to a statement the center published on Wednesday.
Bulk carriers Kiran America and Captain Adam 1 will leave Chernomorsk. The first vessel, carrying 50,000 tonnes of barley and corn will head to China, while the second one will deliver 9,300 tonnes of wheat to Turkey. Three more vessels, Santana, Jasmin Queen and Filyoz, will sail from Odessa. Jasmin Queen and Filyoz will deliver to Turkey 9,531 and 4,410 tonnes of corn and sunflower oil respectively. The Santana bulk carrier will carry 10,000 tonnes of wheat to Italy. All the vessels are expected to sail on September 8.
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. The UN’s goal is to reach the volume of export of 2-5 mln tonnes of food per month.
