Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations (UN) on Friday, July 22, signed an agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.

The ceremony in Istanbul was attended by UN Secretary General António Guterres , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu , and Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.

Shoigu signed an agreement with Turkey and the UN separately, later the Ukrainian minister came out to sign. The head of the Russian Defense Ministry also said that in addition to the document on the export of grain, a memorandum was also signed connecting the UN to lifting restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to world markets.

Terms of Agreements

After the conclusion of the agreement, Guterres said that the agreement on the export of grain from the ports of Ukraine is 120 days with the possibility of extension.

In addition, Sergei Lavrov said that the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Federation and the UN Secretariat on Assistance in the Promotion of Russian Food and Fertilizers to World Markets” will be valid for three years.

It is, in particular, about how to remove the obstacles that the US and the EU have created in the areas of finance, insurance and logistics, to achieve specific exemptions for these products from the restrictive measures imposed against our country.

The essence of the contract

A UN source said that ships going to Ukraine and back will be inspected by inspectors for unauthorized cargo and personnel. According to him, the inspection teams will be located in Turkey and will include representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN.

He added that “vessels will pass to the ports of Ukraine and enter them in accordance with the schedule approved by the joint coordination center, after the inspection of the vessels by the inspection team.”