UN chief conducts inspection at Istanbul Zeyport for Ukrainian grain exports

By Gulsum Incekaya

ISTANBUL (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday participated in the inspections at Istanbul Zeyport and Joint Coordination Center overseeing Ukrainian grain exports.

Guterres arrived at Zeytinburnu Kazlicesme Port with his inspection team and they set off on the service boat to the ship SSI INVINCIBLE II.

The UN chief did not participate in the onboard inspection.

The ship, which was inspected in Zeyport, will depart for Ukraine's port of Chornomorsk.

After the inspection team's investigations, Guterres moved to the Joint Coordination Center at the National Defense University.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal last month to resume grain exports from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports of Yuzhny, Chornomorsk, and Odesa, which were halted due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its sixth month.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN has been set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

Since the first departure on Aug. 1, a total of 26 ships have left Ukrainian ports under the deal.