RUSSIA has rejoined the Ukrainian export grain export after Kiev pledged not to use Black Sea corridor to attack Russian forces, reported the Associated Press.
The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that Ukraine formally committed to use the established safe shipping corridor between southern Ukraine and Turkey 'exclusively in accordance with the stipulations' of the agreement.
'The Russian Federation believes that the guarantees it has received currently appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement,' the ministry said, adding that mediation by the United Nations and Turkey secured Russia's continued cooperation.
russia suspended its participation in the grain deal over the weekend, citing allegations of a Ukrainian drone attack against its Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Ukraine did not claim responsibility for the attack, which some Ukrainian officials blamed on Russian soldiers mishandling their own weapons.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Turkey's defence minister that the deal for a grain corridor would 'continue in the same way as before'.
President Erdogan said the renewed deal would prioritise shipments to African nations, including Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan, in line with Russia's concerns that most of the exported grain had ended up in richer nations since Moscow and Kiev made separate agreements with Turkey and the UN in July.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said that 23 per cent of the total cargo exported from Ukraine under the grain deal went to lower or lower-middle income countries, which also received 49 per cent of all wheat shipments.
Ships loaded with grain departed Ukraine on Tuesday despite Russia halting its support for the agreement, which aimed to ensure safe passage of critical food supplies meant for parts of the world struggling with hunger. But the United Nations had said vessels would not move Wednesday, raising concerns about future shipments.
The United Nations and Turkey brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July to ensure Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia would receive grain and other food from the Black Sea region during Russia's eight month-old war in Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia are key global exporters of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food to developing countries where many are already struggling with hunger.
The grain agreement brought down global food prices 15 per cent from their peak in March, according to the UN. Losing Ukrainian shipments would have meant poorer countries paying more to import grain in a tight global market as places like Argentina and the United States deal with dry weather, analysts say.
After the announcement of Russia rejoining the deal, wheat futures prices erased the increases seen Monday, dropping more than six per cent in Chicago.
At least a third of the grain shipped in the last three months was going to the Middle East and North Africa, and while a lot of corn was going to Europe, 'that's the traditional buyer for Ukraine corn. It's not like that was so unusual,' said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.
He added that more wheat was going to sub-Saharan Africa and Asian markets that have become increasingly important buyers of Ukrainian grain.
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The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that Ukraine formally committed to use the established safe shipping corridor between southern Ukraine and Turkey 'exclusively in accordance with the stipulations' of the agreement.
'The Russian Federation believes that the guarantees it has received currently appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement,' the ministry said, adding that mediation by the United Nations and Turkey secured Russia's continued cooperation.
russia suspended its participation in the grain deal over the weekend, citing allegations of a Ukrainian drone attack against its Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Ukraine did not claim responsibility for the attack, which some Ukrainian officials blamed on Russian soldiers mishandling their own weapons.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Turkey's defence minister that the deal for a grain corridor would 'continue in the same way as before'.
President Erdogan said the renewed deal would prioritise shipments to African nations, including Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan, in line with Russia's concerns that most of the exported grain had ended up in richer nations since Moscow and Kiev made separate agreements with Turkey and the UN in July.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said that 23 per cent of the total cargo exported from Ukraine under the grain deal went to lower or lower-middle income countries, which also received 49 per cent of all wheat shipments.
Ships loaded with grain departed Ukraine on Tuesday despite Russia halting its support for the agreement, which aimed to ensure safe passage of critical food supplies meant for parts of the world struggling with hunger. But the United Nations had said vessels would not move Wednesday, raising concerns about future shipments.
The United Nations and Turkey brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July to ensure Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia would receive grain and other food from the Black Sea region during Russia's eight month-old war in Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia are key global exporters of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food to developing countries where many are already struggling with hunger.
The grain agreement brought down global food prices 15 per cent from their peak in March, according to the UN. Losing Ukrainian shipments would have meant poorer countries paying more to import grain in a tight global market as places like Argentina and the United States deal with dry weather, analysts say.
After the announcement of Russia rejoining the deal, wheat futures prices erased the increases seen Monday, dropping more than six per cent in Chicago.
At least a third of the grain shipped in the last three months was going to the Middle East and North Africa, and while a lot of corn was going to Europe, 'that's the traditional buyer for Ukraine corn. It's not like that was so unusual,' said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.
He added that more wheat was going to sub-Saharan Africa and Asian markets that have become increasingly important buyers of Ukrainian grain.
SeaNews Turkey
