Agreement to reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports was signed on Friday in Istanbul. The agreement lays the ground work of reopening of the ports with negotiations from UN and Turkey.
Russia and Ukraine established elements such as,
- Ports to involved
- Port monitoring center established in Istanbul
- Vessel inspection routines
- Vessels unharmed or unhindered
“The initiative we just signed opens a path for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny,” said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
“The shipment of grain and food stocks into world markets will help bridge the global food supply gap and reduce pressure on high prices.” he further added.
The agreement will be effective immediately. The first steps to establish the Joint Coordination Center is currently in progress. The center will be located in Istanbul and would be the heart of the operation. Turkey offered to provide monitoring and inspections. Turkey also agreed to Russia’s demands to assuring that ships would not be used to transport military equipment into Ukraine.
Entry and Exits to Ukraine waters
According to the agreement to reopen Ukrainian Black sea ports, Ukrainian pilots will be guiding ships in and out of the ports through mined waters. The ships will follow a prescribed route out of Ukrainian waters. It then transit the Bosporus and get inspected at a Turkey port from where they head to world markets.
An additional Agreement
In addition to the agreement made for Russian to ensure vessels do not transport military equipment, another agreement was signed to loosen the limits on shipping for Russia in the region. Russians demanded to guarantee ease of movement of food and fertilizer and to have free passage for vessels.
However, analysts at S&P Global Market Intelligence have said despite the agreement, it could take weeks to months, to resolve concerns for Black sea routes to resume. Furthermore, UN and IMO expects to fully implement the agreement in few weeks. They also aimed to restore grain shipment to prewar level. The initial agreement lasts 120 days and is renewable.