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Black Sea grain exports deal ‘a beacon of hope’ amid Ukraine war – Guterres |



The United Nations plan, which also opens the way for Russian food and fertilizer access to global markets, will help stabilize soaring food prices worldwide and prevent hunger, affecting millions of people. People.

The ministers of Russia and Ukraine signed the Black Sea Grains Initiative, facing each other at opposite ends of the table, while the Secretary-General and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sat in the middle.

Hope and relief

“Today, there is a lighthouse on the Black Sea,” said the head of the United Nations speak, said before signing. “A beacon of hope – a beacon of possibility – a beacon of relief – in a world that needs it more than ever. ”

Mr. Guterres thanked President Erdogan and his government for facilitating the negotiations that led to the agreement.

He commended the representatives of Russia and Ukraine for putting aside their differences for the common good of humanity.

“The question is not what is good for one side or the other,” he said. “The focus is on what matters most to the people of our world. And no doubt – This is a deal for the world.

Ukraine is one of the world’s leading grain exporters, providing more than 45 million tons annually to the global market, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Russian invasion, which began on February 24, has raised record food and fuel prices, as well as supply chain problems, with mountains of grain stockpiles trapped in bunkers. .

In addition to stabilizing global food prices, the deal “will bring aid to developing countries on the verge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable on the brink of famineMr. Guterres said.

“Since the beginning of the war, I have emphasized that there is no solution to the global food crisis without ensuring global access to Ukraine’s food products as well as to Ukraine’s food and fertilizers. Russia”.


Along the road

This initiative specifically allows the export of commercial food in significant volumes from three important Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.

The Secretary-General also announced the establishment of a Joint Coordination Center to oversee implementation. It will be held in Istanbul and will include representatives from Ukraine, Russia and Türkiye.

Inspection teams will monitor grain shipments at the three ports. Ukrainian pilots will guide the ships through the Black Sea, where it is mined, then they will pass through the Bosphorus along an agreed corridor.

Vessels entering the port will also be inspected.

Mr Guterres acknowledged the “long road” and weeks of round-the-clock negotiations that led to the landmark agreement.

In April, the Secretary-General met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to propose a plan. The UN was “working every day”, he said.

Two UN Task Forces were established in parallel during the negotiations – one focused on transporting Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea, led by UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths and the other force on facilitating access to Russian food and fertilizers, headed by Rebecca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations agency for trade and development, UNCTAD.

Signaling for peace

Mr. Guterres pledged the full UN commitment to the agreement, and called on all parties to do the same.

“This is an unprecedented agreement between two parties to the bloody conflict. But that The conflict continues,” he said, noting that people are dying every day as the fighting rages on.

“The beacon of hope on the Black Sea is shining today, thanks to the joint efforts of so many people. In these challenging and tumultuous times for our region and the globe, let that beacon guide the way towards alleviating human suffering and ensuring peace. ”





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