UPDATE - EU foreign policy chief welcomes Türkiye’s, UN’s role in striking deal on Ukrainian grain exports

UPDATES WITH EU STATEMENT; CHANGES THROUGHOUT

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – The EU foreign policy chief on Friday welcomed efforts by Türkiye and the UN leading to a deal between Russia and Ukraine eliminating hurdles to Ukrainian grain shipments.

“Today’s Istanbul agreement is a step in the right direction” to solve the problems caused by “Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine which left millions at risk of hunger,” Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter.

He hailed efforts by the UN and Türkiye in securing the deal, and urged its “swift implementation.”

Borrell added that the EU continues to provide help in shipping Ukrainian grain.

Borrell later issued a formal statement on behalf of the European Union welcoming the agreement.

“This is a critical step forward in efforts to overcome the global food insecurity caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” he said.

Borrell thanked the UN for its “relentless efforts” to find ways to unblock grain shipments and commended “Turkey for its important role in brokering this agreement and in supporting its implementation.”

With the mediation of Türkiye and the UN, Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement in Istanbul on Friday on the resumption of Ukraine’s grain shipments from Black Sea ports.

Under the deal, reached on a UN-led plan during talks in Istanbul, a coordination center will be established to carry out joint inspections at the entrances and exits of harbors, and to ensure the safety of the routes.

Internationally praised for its mediator role, Türkiye has coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv to open a corridor from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to resume global grain shipments long stuck due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth month.