UN "Ukraine and Russia Make Substantial Progress in Grain Negotiations"

UN Secretary-General: "Much goodwill and will are needed... Optimistic"
Will over 20 million tons of grain stuck at Ukrainian ports be released?

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] Major foreign media including Bloomberg reported on the 13th (local time) that negotiations to normalize Ukraine's grain exports in response to the global food crisis have made substantial progress.

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), stated after concluding the first round of talks in Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, that the negotiations are at a "substantial stage and moving towards a comprehensive agreement in various aspects." On the same day, representatives from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and UN officials held a four-party negotiation for the first time since the outbreak of the war to discuss the export plan for about 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain.

Secretary-General Guterres forecasted that a second round of talks supported by the UN is scheduled for next week, and a final agreement could be reached as early as then. He expressed, "I hope we can reach a final agreement," adding, "Much goodwill and will are needed." Furthermore, he said, "They have shown it, and I am optimistic," but added, "However, it is not completely over yet."

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, conveyed in a national address that his country's delegation had made some progress and stated, "We will agree on the details with the UN within a few days."

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Hulusi Akar, Turkey's Minister of National Defense, announced that they agreed to establish a joint coordination center in Istanbul in the future. Istanbul spans the Bosporus Strait, a major transportation route connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Minister Akar explained that on that day, they agreed on "basic technical details," including the need for joint inspections of ships entering and leaving Ukrainian ports and securing passage routes. However, he did not disclose the agreed details. The Russian side has not yet issued a public statement. The Russian Foreign Ministry had previously set the easing of sanctions against Russia as a condition for negotiations.

The talks were held amid concerns that grain such as wheat, corn, and barley is stuck in Ukrainian port silos blockaded by the Russian navy, exacerbating the global food crisis. If storage facilities cannot be emptied to stockpile newly harvested crops, millions of tons of grain could be wasted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.