Lavrov Says Russia, Turkey, Yet Undetermined Party Will Escort Ships With Ukrainian Grain

© Sputnik / Dmitry Makeev / Go to the mediabankA view shows wheat to be harvested in a field in Zaporozhye region.
A view shows wheat to be harvested in a field in Zaporozhye region. - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.07.2022
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CAIRO (Sputnik) - Russia, Turkey, and a third party that will be determined later will provide escort for ships with Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday.
"In Istanbul, we managed to reach an agreement: Ukraine is engaged in mine clearance, and takes ships to the open sea, while Russia, Turkey, and another participant, which will be determined later, escort the ship to the Bosporus," Lavrov said during a meeting of the League of Arab States.
Barley - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.07.2022
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Meanwhile, Oleg Ustenko, economic adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Sunday that it will take about 8-9 months to export all Ukrainian grain as part of the Istanbul deal.
"If now the ports were unblocked... then we could transport 60 million tons of grain within 8-9 months," Ustenko said, adding that Ukraine currently has 20 million tons of grain for export and another 40 million tons expected from the new harvest worth more than $10 billion.
If the seaports remain blocked, it will take up to two years to export this amount of grain, Ustenko added.
On Friday, Istanbul hosted the signing of multilateral UN-brokered agreements on lifting restrictions on the supply of Russian products for export and Moscow's assistance in the export of Ukrainian grain. The deal involves the export of grain, foodstuff, and fertilizers across the Black Sea from ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhnoye.
World leaders and international organizations have been raising concerns over an imminent and large-scale food crisis since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February. They have cited disruptions to supply chains, soaring prices, derailed crops production in one of the largest grain-producing regions in the world and accused Russia of blocking grain shipments in Ukraine's Black Sea ports. Moscow has pointed out that the maritime mines planted by Ukrainian troops at the entry to the Black Sea ports had prevented merchant ships from safely getting grain out of Ukraine.
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