Grain deal: Joint center to continue inspections as Russia suspends agreement

Photo: AA/File

The UN, Türkiye and Ukraine have agreed on a movement plan for 16 vessels that are in Türkiye's territorial waters after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal.

In a statement, the İstanbul-based Joint Coordination Centre (JCC), which oversees shipments, said the three delegations also agreed to inspect 40 outbound vessels today (October 31).

The JCC added that Russia was informed of the development.

According to the statement, currently, there are 97 loaded vessels and 15 inbound vessels registered for JCC inspection around İstanbul and an additional 89 that have applied to join the initiative.

Personnel from Russia still at coordination center

Earlier, Türkiye's National Defense Ministry said National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar continues to negotiate and coordinate with his interlocutors for the resumption of Black Sea grain exports.

"To solve the problem and to continue the activities of the grain initiative, which have so far been successfully carried out in coordination, Hulusi Akar continues to negotiate and coordinate with his interlocutors, and the relevant authorities," the ministry said in a written statement yesterday.

"Russian personnel working at the Joint Coordination Center in İstanbul are still at the Center. During this period, there will be no shipping from Ukraine. The inspection of the grain-laden ships waiting in front of İstanbul is planned to continue today and tomorrow."

On Saturday, Russia announced that it had suspended its participation in the deal to export Ukrainian grain following attacks on its Black Sea Fleet.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement on July 22 in İstanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in late February.

Ankara has called for an expansion of the agreement to cover exports from Russia as well.

How the Ukraine grain deal works

Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to a grain export crisis from Ukraine, one of the largest grain exporting countries in the world. Ukraine accused Russia of stealing the grain in the places it occupied in Ukraine. Turkey is among the places where the stolen grain is sold, according to officials from Ukraine.

Russia denied stealing Ukraine's grain and says the disruption in the grain shipment is caused by the naval mines laid by Ukraine off the Black Sea coasts.

After diplomatic consultations, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal on July 22 to reopen three ports — Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny — for grain that has been stuck for months because of the invasion.

On July 27, a coordination center to implement the deal opened in İstanbul.

The duty of the center is to provide safe sea transportation of grain and similar food products to be exported from Ukraine.

It consists of five representatives – both military and civilian – each from Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the UN.

The center registers and monitors the departure of commercial ships via satellite, internet, and other communication means, and will carry out all its activities in coordination with the parties and the UN.

The ships are be inspected by joint inspection teams at locations deemed suitable for loading at Ukrainian ports and upon arrival at ports in Türkiye.

(VK)