Russia–Ukraine Breakthrough Grain export Agreement: Vital Turkish Mediation Role

On July 22, 2022, a signing ceremony took place in Istanbul to celebrate the agreement of Russia-Ukraine export grain agreement under the patronage of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the agreement would help ease a global food crisis.

The agreement guarantees securing exports of grain stuck in the Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea (Eastern Europe) to the world.

The Ukrainian Ports Administration announced the start of convoys of grain ships in the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny.

The administration said in a statement on July 24 that preparations had been completed for the resumption of the work of the three ports following the signing of the Deal on the safe shipment of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports.

It stressed the need for the ships to submit a request to be included in the mentioned convoys, noting that the entry and exit of these ships to the three ports will be under the command of a specific ship.

Many countries in the world suffer from a grain crisis as a result of the inability of shipments to leave Ukrainian ports due to the Russian-Ukrainian war that has erupted since February 24.

 

Glimmer of Hope

The United Nations expressed its hope to build on the diplomacy that succeeded in concluding an agreement between Russia, Ukraine, and Turkiye, allowing the export of millions of tons of grain from besieged Ukrainian ports, a spokesman for the international organization confirmed.

Grain shipments could soon leave Ukraine's Black Sea ports after representatives of both sides in the conflict signed the agreement in Istanbul on July 22, potentially easing a looming global lunch crisis.

"We will try to build on that," United Nations spokesman Farhan Haq said Friday in response to a question about whether the United Nations sees an improvement in the chances of reaching a ceasefire through negotiations.

He added that if the parties find tangible results of the agreements reached on Friday, he believes they can help create a better atmosphere for more agreements.

UN Secretary-General Guterres said: "The agreement would open a path for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny, and would also bring relief to developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy." The agreement, widely seen as a "glimmer of hope," marks one of Turkiye's biggest achievements in mediating the Ukraine war.

 

Praising Turkiye's Mediation

On July 20, The White House welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts to reach an agreement regarding grain shipments stuck in Ukrainian ports.

This came in the words of John Kirby, the coordinator of strategic communications for the National Security Council at the White House, in press statements he made during a press conference on Tuesday.

He added that Washington attaches importance to the ongoing talks between Turkiye, Russia, and Ukraine regarding the grain crisis, expressing hope that a result will be reached.

In a related context, Kirby said that Washington welcomes President Erdogan's efforts to find a solution to the grain crisis.

He emphasized that President Biden thanked Erdogan, who was seeking to find a solution to the suspended grain shipments.

France24 revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin also thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for mediating talks on the export of grain from Ukrainian ports.

In an interview with Al-Estiklal, the expert on Economics and researcher at Sabahattin Zaim in Istanbul, Soumia Rahali said: "The fruitful Turkish efforts on the grain crisis would be soon reflected on wheat prices around the world. Expectations of an increase in supply with the resolution of the grain crisis led to a decline in the value of wheat by about 6 percent to $7.7.These levels are similar to were before the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War. With the signing of the agreement to establish the grain corridor in Istanbul, he broke the record fall."

 

Agreement's clauses

The United Nations has not officially published a copy of any of the signed agreements, but it has issued notes on the most important clauses from the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The parties agreed to establish a Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, under the auspices of the United Nations, consisting of representatives from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Turkiye, and the United Nations.

The Joint Coordination Center will enable the safe, commercial transportation of commercial foodstuffs and fertilizers by merchant ships from three major Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny.

The center undertakes the most prominent tasks of monitoring the movement of commercial ships to ensure compliance with the initiative and focusing on the export of commercial grains and related food commodities only, ensuring on-site control and monitoring of goods from Ukrainian ports, and submitting a report on the shipments that were facilitated through the initiative.

The center will not facilitate the export of foodstuffs from countries other than Ukraine, nor will it facilitate the export of containers and non-food items not included in the provisions contained in the initiative.

With regard to facilitating Russian exports, the United Nations refers to reaching an agreement with the Russian Federation on the scope of the United Nations' participation to facilitate unimpeded exports of Russian food and fertilizers to world markets, including raw materials needed for the production of fertilizers.

This agreement is based on the principle that the measures imposed on the Russian Federation do not apply to these products. Meanwhile, the Russian Federation is obligated to facilitate the unhindered export of foodstuffs, sunflower oil, and fertilizers from the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea ports.

The United Nations considers that agreements to facilitate unrestricted access to Ukrainian food exports from the Black Sea, as well as exports of food and fertilizers from the Russian Federation, are important on many levels, most notably by calming commodity markets, lowering prices, and providing critical relief to the most vulnerable people and countries affected by the crisis and the unprecedented cost of living.