Ports of “Big Odessa” last Saturday and Sunday dispatched 390 thousand tons of agricultural products within the framework of the “Grain Initiative”, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine reported.
“For the last two days, nine ships left the ports of “Big Odessa” to deliver 390 thousand tons of agricultural products to Africa, Asia and Europe, including bulk carriers ALANDA STAR and SSI PRIVILEGE with 68 thousand tons of wheat for Egypt and Indonesia, as well as tanker EUROCHAMPION with 45 thousand tons of vegetable oil for India,” the Ministry noted.
The Ministry notes that 24 ships are being processed at the ports, involved in the “grain initiative. They load more than 860 thousand tons of Ukrainian agricultural products.
“Grain corridor” also moves three vessels for the loading of 93 thousand tons of agricultural products.
At the same time, 99 ships are waiting for inspection in the Bosporus, 72 of which – to enter the ports for loading, 27 – already with Ukrainian agricultural products.
“Russia’s goal is to slow down the process of vessel inspections. First they reduced the number of inspection teams to three, now they started to drag out the time of inspections themselves. Representatives of the Russian Federation have started to check even indicators that are not stipulated in the documents of the SKC and have nothing to do with the subject of the inspection (for example, whether judicial units work well, how much fuel, etc.),” explains Deputy Minister of Community, Territory and Infrastructure Development Yuriy Vaskov.
According to him, under this algorithm, the inspection of a single ship takes four hours, which leads to a longer queue and at the same time a million losses for the cargo owners because of downtime.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, as of December 25, inspection group #3 had not held a single inspection, resulting in only six inspections per day out of 10 scheduled.
The agency noted that for continuous movement of grain corridor should be held at least 12 inspections per day.
In total, since August 1, 594 ships left the ports of Greater Odessa, which exported 15.5 million tons of Ukrainian food to Asia, Europe and Africa.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has decided to increase humanitarian aid to Africa and Asia by an additional 21,000 tons of corn or wheat, and also changed the terms of their delivery from CIF (sender pays cargo insurance) to FOB (delivery of goods before loading on board the ship).
According to the representative of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnychuk in his Telegram channel, the relevant decision was taken at a government meeting on Friday.
Earlier, in November, the government passed resolution No. 1313, approving the allocation of 900 million UAH to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (MIA) for its constituent State Emergency Service (SES) to purchase in Ukraine and subsequent delivery to the Republic of Sudan, Republic of Yemen, Republic of Kenya and Federal Republic of Nigeria of up to 64 thousand tons of corn or wheat grain. In addition, Ukraine undertook to send at least 125 thousand tons of wheat and corn (quality not lower than the 3rd class).
Thus, taking into account the decree adopted on 23 December, the four countries will receive from Ukraine up to 210 thousand tons of grain.
For 2 days 9 vessels with 162 thousand tons of agricultural products for the countries of Africa, Asia and Europe departed from Big Odessa ports, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine informs.
“In particular, the bulk carrier BOZBURUN – M with 40 thousand tons of wheat for Ethiopia departed today. This is already the eighth vessel chartered by the UN World Food Programme as part of the assistance to countries in Africa and Asia,” the Telegram channel said.
In the ports of Greater Odessa under the processing of 26 ships. They are loaded with 1 million tons of Ukrainian agricultural products.
Since August 1, 475 ships left the ports of Big Odessa, which exported 11.2 million tons of Ukrainian food products to Asia, Europe and Africa.
The next four ships with 115 thousand tons of agricultural products left the ports of Chornomorsk and Pivdenny on Wednesday for Africa, Asia and Europe, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine reports.
“Four ships left the berths, including Magnum Fortune, which transports 51 thousand tons of Ukrainian wheat for Bangladesh, and Almeray with 32.4 thousand tons of corn for Libya,” the agency noted on Facebook.
In total, after the release of the first vessel with Ukrainian food, 5.4 million tons of agricultural products were exported, and the total number of vessels leaving Ukrainian ports for the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa reached 235.
The agency indicated that the day before, the most capacious vessel of the time of the initiative, the Capesize Maran Excellence, with 115,000 tons of grain, left the port of Pivdenny.
As reported, in Istanbul on July 22, with the participation of the UN, Ukraine, Turkey and Russia, two documents were signed on the creation of a corridor for the export of grain from three Ukrainian ports – Chornomorsk, Odessa and Pivdenny.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Maxim Subkh as Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa.
The corresponding decree is dated July 12 and published on the website of the head of state.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has announced his intention to expand the country’s relations with the countries of the African Union.
“It was during my term that the first Strategy for the Development of Ukraine’s Relations with African States was approved. Dialogue with all countries of the continent will be intensified. The Special Representative of Ukraine for African Affairs will also start working in the near future,” Zelensky said, speaking via video link at a meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union on Monday.
On his instructions, the first regional tour of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in the history of the Ukrainian state is being prepared for the states of Sub-Saharan Africa, the President said. According to Zelensky, he also initiates visits to African countries by representatives of the Verkhovna Rada.
“I invite you to visit our country now to renew our bilateral ties. And I propose to start preparing, with our common willingness, a large political and economic conference ‘Ukraine – Africa,” the president said.
He recalled that “many countries of the African Union know Ukraine well economically and in the field of education.” “Our ties are really very ancient. Our specialists built enterprises in your countries back in Soviet times. Your students studied at our universities and are studying now,” Zelensky said.
“Until February 24, more than 300 Ukrainian blue helmets performed tasks within six UN missions. And our national contingent, including the 18th Separate Helicopter Detachment, was an important part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And it is on this basis of the relationship that has existed for many, many years that we must build a new political history, ” he said.
“If it wasn’t for the Russian war, you would be in a completely different position now – completely safe. That is why, in order to avoid famine, the efforts of states like Russia to return to the aggressive policy of colonialism must end, ” Zelensky said.
