Frederick Kenny, UN interim coordinator at the joint center in Istanbul for monitoring the implementation of the Russian-Turkish grain agreement, said that the first batches of wheat will begin to ship from Ukrainian ports as early as next week.

In a press statement, he explained that “the first 12 shipments that left the three Black Sea ports that were included in the deal were carrying corn or other foodstuffs,” noting that “corn silos in Ukraine were filled with corn.” , and they were loaded onto ships anchored in ports.

Kenny pointed out that “we are dealing with three ports that have completely ceased operations”, emphasizing that “it is necessary to withdraw these ships in order to bring in new ships that can cope with the food crisis.” And he pointed out that “12 ships that sailed from Ukraine in the first week of the agreement carried 370,000 tons of corn and food,” stressing that “we gave the green light to the first ship going to Ukraine through the Bosphorus. next week.”

The agreement, signed by the belligerents, UN and Turkish officials last month in Istanbul, was hailed as a golden opportunity to deal with the global food crisis caused by the war.