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Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar
Photo: GINTS IVUSKANS / AFP
Three more ships carrying grain deliveries are scheduled to depart from Ukraine on Friday.
Thanks to the "intensive work" of the grain export coordination center recently set up in Istanbul, the departure of three ships is planned, said Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, according to the Anadolu news agency.
Akar did not say from which ports these ships will set sail.
As the Reuters news agency reported, it is also planned that an unloaded freighter will be examined in Istanbul and then set sail towards Ukraine.
On the basis of an agreement brokered by Turkey and the United Nations (UN) on grain exports by sea, a cargo ship with grain, the "Razoni", left Ukrainian-controlled territory for the first time since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression on Monday when it left the port left from Odessa.
Since then, no other ship with grain has set sail from there.
The "Razoni" has 26,000 tons of corn on board and docked in Istanbul on its way to Lebanon.
There, as stipulated in the agreement, the cargo was examined on Wednesday by inspectors from Turkey, the UN, Ukraine and Russia before the ship continued its journey.
The agreements to resume Ukrainian grain deliveries by sea were signed in Istanbul two weeks ago.
Secure Black Sea routes are envisaged for these shipments.
In addition, the coordination center was established on the basis of the agreement in Istanbul.
There, representatives of Ukraine and Russia as well as Turkey and the UN are to jointly monitor the safe passage of Ukrainian cargo ships on the defined routes.
Up to 25 million tons of grain blocked
According to estimates, between 20 and 25 million tons of grain were recently blocked in Ukrainian ports as a result of the war, which has contributed to a global food crisis.
Ukraine and Russia are among the world's largest grain producers.
The months-long export blockade hit poor countries in particular, which are heavily dependent on imports from Russia and Ukraine.
dam/AFP/Reuters
