KYIV – The first cargo ship to reach its final destination after departing Ukraine under a Moscow-Kyiv deal docked in Turkey on Monday, Kyiv said, while a cargo expected in Lebanon reported delays.
Ukraine, one of the world’s leading grain exporters, was forced to halt almost all supplies after the Russian invasion, but Black Sea exports have recently resumed under a deal brokered by the UN and Turkey.
The Turkish cargo ship Polarnet, which has reached its final destination, left the port of Chornomorsk in Ukraine last week with 12,000 tonnes of maize.
It arrived in Turkey as scheduled after being inspected by the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) set up in Istanbul under the international agreement signed last month, Kyiv said.
“This first successful completion of the implementation of the grain agreement allows us to look at the future of transport with optimism,” said Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, quoted in a ministry statement.
The statement does not specify the ship’s destination, but the shipfinder.com website listed the port of Derince, Turkey, as the location.
The deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, lifted the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports and set conditions for millions of tonnes of wheat and other grains to flow out of silos and ports.
The Razoni was the first ship to leave Ukraine under the deal.
It left the port of Odessa on August 1 with 26,000 tonnes of maize and was expected in Tripoli, Lebanon this weekend, but has yet to reach its destination.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon explained on social media that the shipment was delayed after the original buyer refused delivery, citing a five-month shipment delay.
“The sender is therefore looking for another recipient. This may be in Lebanon or in another country,” he added in a statement on Twitter.
Eight ships have left Ukrainian ports since the agreement was signed, Kyiv said on Monday, and it is hoped that between three and five ships will be able to leave daily within two weeks.
- Editor / main report by AFP
