The Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration (USPA) reports on the ongoing preparation of the ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny for the resumption of work in connection with the signing on July 22 in Istanbul of the Initiative for the export of grain and related food products by sea.
“Considering the above, we inform you that the event and the exit of ships to the indicated seaports will be carried out by forming a caravan, which will be accompanied by a leading ship,” the USPA posted on Facebook on Saturday.
In order to draw up plans for the formation of caravans, USPA asks to submit applications for the inclusion of ships by e-mail.
During the signing of the Initiative and immediately after it, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that ship traffic could resume in the coming days.
PJSC Centravis Production Ukraine (Centravis Production Ukraine), part of the holding Centravis Ltd., suspended the production process last week due to shelling by Russian invaders of the city of Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region, where the company’s assets are located.
“The Russians continue their terror against the civilian population of Ukraine, the shelling of civilian infrastructure. Nikopol was no exception. The employees of Centravis were not injured. The production equipment was not damaged,” Chief Sales Officer (CSO) Artem Atanasov said in a letter to customers in Friday.
According to him, at the time of the escalation, the administration of Centravis took additional security measures to protect employees and their families.
“We continue to ship products. The main production was temporarily stopped this week, but we plan to restart it on Monday, July 25,” the sales director stated.
At the same time, he noted that the supply of blanks to the enterprise is stable. “We continue to accept orders, there is an opportunity to place orders for September and beyond,” Atanasov said.
He added that the logistics team is actively working and constantly looking for better and safer ways to deliver finished products. Sales offices around the world in Essen, Milan, Krakow, Lugano, Houston and Dubai are open, financial and administrative customer support departments also continue to work.
Centravis is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of seamless stainless steel pipes, founded in 2000. Its production facilities are located in Nikopol (Dnepropetrovsk region). Included in the top 10 global players, supplies pipes to more than 70 countries from different regions, in particular to Thyssenkrupp, Buhlmann, BMW, Alstom, Linde, Samsung, Volkswagen.
Before the Russian aggression, more than 1,400 people worked at the enterprise.
Holding Centravis Ltd. was created on the basis of CJSC “Nikopol Stainless Pipe Plant”, service and trading companies LLC “Production and Commercial Enterprise “UVIS”. Its shareholders are members of the Atanasov family.
Owned by Centravis Ltd. 100% of the shares of PJSC “Centravis Production Ukraine” is located.
Ukraine is satisfied with the terms of the initiative signed in Istanbul on the safe transportation of grain and food from Ukrainian ports and is ready to resume exports from them in a few days, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.
“In a few days we are ready to start exporting from the ports on the Black Sea,” he said via video link from Istanbul on the air of the national telethon, specifying that we are talking about the ports of Chernomorsk, Odessa and Pivdenny.
“I believe that we are signing the agreement on our terms, because our water area is completely controlled by us. No ‘zrada’. No one surrenders anything, everyone did it from a position of strength after the liberation of Snake Island,” Kubrakov emphasized.
According to him, there is no risk of Russian warships entering Ukrainian ports along the green corridors opened after mine clearance.
Commenting on the initiative, the minister added that none of the other parties would check anything in the Ukrainian water area and ports, and a selective inspection of ships in the Bosphorus area would be carried out by the Ukraine-RF-Turkey-UN joint four-party group.
Kubrakov noted that Ukraine is also interested in such control in order to remove the risk of ships with unchecked cargo arriving at Ukrainian ports.
Ukraine, Turkey and Russia, with the support of UN Secretary General António Guteres, agreed to facilitate safe shipping for the export of grain, related food products and fertilizers (including ammonia) from the seaports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny within 120 days from the possibility of extending this period.
The corresponding signing of documents within the framework of the initiative for the safe transportation of grain and food from Ukrainian ports took place in Istanbul on Friday: the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, signed a tripartite document with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and the UN Secretary General, who also signed a second such a tripartite document with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
As noted in the text of the initiative, a copy of which is available to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, it is based on agreements between the parties to the 1974 international convention on the safety of life at sea.
In particular, the parties agree on the following:
– maximum security guarantees for all vessels participating in this initiative;
– creation under the auspices of the UN in Istanbul of a joint coordination center (JCC), which includes representatives of all parties;
– Creation and work on the ships participating in the initiative of inspection teams from representatives of the parties, which will inspect the ships in the ports designated by Turkey, when entering / leaving the Turkish Strait to check the absence of unauthorized cargo and personnel on board.
At the same time, all activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under the control and responsibility of Ukraine.
The parties will not launch any attacks on merchant and civilian vessels, as well as on port facilities participating in this initiative.
If clearance of approaches to ports is required, a minesweeper from a third country must be involved
Merchant vessels must be pre-registered with the SKC and will be under technical control for the duration of their passage through the maritime humanitarian corridor agreed by all parties.
The RCC will develop and disseminate a detailed operational and communications plan, including the identification of safe havens and medical assistance options along the route.
In order to prevent provocations and incidents, the movement of vessels transiting the maritime humanitarian corridor will be remotely controlled by the Parties.
“No warships, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than the distance agreed by the RCC without the permission of the RCC and only after consultation with all Parties,” the text of the initiative emphasizes.
This initiative will be valid for 120 days from the date of signing by all Parties and may be automatically renewed for the same period, unless one of the Parties notifies the other of its intention to terminate the initiative or change it.
At the same time, the achievement of an agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain does not mean a weakening of the security regime in the Black Sea, representatives of Ukraine have repeatedly emphasized.
CHORNOMORSK, EXPORT, GRAIN, ODESSA, PIVDENNY, PORT, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, TURKEY, UKRAINE
The Council of the European Union has approved an earlier political decision to provide Ukraine with a new tranche of EUR500 million from the European Peace Fund to strengthen support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to protect the country’s territory from Russian aggression.
The corresponding decision was made on Friday in Brussels, according to the EU Council.
“Today, the Council approved two European Peace Fund (EPF) assistance measures aimed at strengthening EU support for the capabilities and resilience of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to protect the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as to protect the civilian population from ongoing Russian military aggression. Thanks to the 5th tranche of EUR500 million mobilized today, the EU contribution under the EPF for Ukraine will now amount to EUR2.5 billion.
Commenting on the decision, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said: “The EU remains focused and unwaveringly supporting Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and independence. Ukraine needs more weapons, we will provide them. In this context, Member States The EU agreed to mobilize the 5th tranche of military assistance in the amount of EUR500 million, which in total amounts to EUR2.5 billion of military equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
The press release details that, in line with the current priorities stated by the government of Ukraine and the support provided so far, the assistance measures include EUR490 million in military equipment designed to deliver lethal force for defensive purposes and EUR10 million intended to cover equipment deliveries. and for consumables such as personal protective equipment, first aid kits and fuel.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed confidence that the signing of an agreement on grain would eliminate all problems with the formation of an agricultural corridor along the Black Sea, the Anadolu agency reported on Friday.
“Today, with the participation of representatives of the UN, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, a document will be signed that will eliminate problems on the way to the formation of an agricultural corridor,” Erdogan said.
On the eve of “Anadolu” reported that Russia and Ukraine on July 22 in Istanbul are ready to sign an agreement on grain. Turkish President and UN Secretary General António Guterres will attend the signing ceremony.
At last week’s talks between Russia, Turkey, the UN and Ukraine on the export of Ukrainian grain, the participants agreed to establish a coordination center in Istanbul and reached an agreement on joint control of grain in ports.
