The first caravan with Ukrainian grain left the ports of Great Odesa

As part of the implementation of the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Grain and Food Products, the first caravan with Ukrainian food have left the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk.

Three bulk carriers NAVI STAR, ROJEN and POLARNET carry 57,000 tons of Ukrainian corn with destinations in Turkey, Great Britain and Ireland.

"With today's caravan, we are fully launching the "grain initiative" in the port of Chornomorsk.

We expect that the security guarantees of our partners from the UN and Turkey will further work, and food exports from our ports will become stable and predictable for all market participants.

For this purpose, we plan to ensure the ports' ability to handle more than 100 vessels per month. Although the "grain corridor" has already started operation for departure, our goal is the full operation of the ports in both directions. We receive applications from ship owners who are ready to enter our ports for loading. Our goal is 3 or more million tons of agricultural products every month from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdenny," commented the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov.

Ukrainian ports are also currently receiving applications for ship owners being ready to enter our ports for loading. Starting such activities will enable the operation of ports in both directions for leaving and entering to load vessels.

As was reported on July 22 in Istanbul, at the proposal of the United Nations, Ukraine, Turkey and UN Secretary-General António Guterres signed the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Grain and Food Products from the Ukrainian Ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny.

On August 1, as part of the implementation of the agreements, the first ship - RAZONI under the flag of Sierra Leone - departed from Odesa port. The ship is transporting 26,000 tons of Ukrainian corn to the Lebanese port of Tripoli.

The ship passed through the sea corridor and was successfully inspected by an inspection team of the Joint Coordination Center on August 3 in Istanbul.