Turkish, Ukrainian ministers discuss grain export as shipment to start

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye’s defense minister on Sunday held separate phone calls with Ukraine’s defense and infrastructure ministers, with the latest developments on grain shipments from the war-hit country discussed.

In talks with Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov and Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, Hulusi Akar exchanged views on the activities conducted at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said in a statement.

They said technical work on grain shipment was completed and Ukrainian grain shipment is expected to start at the earliest after administrative preparations conclude.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed in Istanbul a deal last week to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny – for grain exports stuck for months due to the Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its sixth month.

According to the agreement, a Joint Coordination Center was established to carry out inspections at the entrances and exits of harbors and to ensure the safety of the routes.