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6 new vessels out of 15 applications registered to participate in Ukraine grain deal: UN

May 19, 2023 at 8:21 pm

Grains to be shipped are loaded onto a ship at Port of Rostov-on-Don in Russia on August 17, 2022. [Stringer – Anadolu Agency]

An UN-led Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul overseeing shipments has registered six new vessels out of 15 applications to participate in the grain deal, a spokesperson said on Friday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

UN associate spokeswoman, Stephanie Tremblay, told reporters that operations are partially restarting.

The Ukraine Black Sea grain deal has been extended for two more months, until 18 July.

“There are currently three loaded vessels that are preparing for inspection in Istanbul. No ships though are currently loading at any of the three Ukrainian ports under the terms of the initiatives,” she said.

“Teams from the Joint Coordination Centre checked and cleared today three new vessels to proceed to the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk”.

She called for the full use of the capacities of the three ports.

Turkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine initially signed the agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were halted after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

READ: Kremlin says it needs to see more progress after Black Sea grain deal renewal