Türkiye, Ukraine discuss grain export ahead of shipment

Türkiye’s defence minister Hulusi Akar has discussed the latest developments on grain shipments from Ukraine in separate phone calls with Ukraine’s defence and infrastructure ministers.

Akar exchanged views on the activities conducted at the Joint Coordination Center during talks with Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov and Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

They said technical work on the first grain shipment was completed and is expected to take place after administrative preparations conclude.

The possibility of the first grain-exporting ship leaving Ukraine's ports on Monday is high, Turkish Presidential Spokeperson Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday.

Speaking in an interview with broadcaster Kanal 7, Kalin said the joint coordination centre in Istanbul will probably complete the final work on the exporting routes very soon.

READ MORE: UN chief welcomes opening of Ukraine grain coordination centre in Istanbul

Ankara-brokered deal

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal last week to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny – for grain exports stuck for months due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which is now in its sixth month.

According to the agreement, a Joint Coordination Center was established in Istanbul to carry out inspections at the entrances and exits of harbours and to ensure the safety of the routes.

Moscow and Kiev are major exporters of agricultural products, but Russia's attacks on Ukraine has severely disrupted wheat exports as the fighting damaged harvests and left ports blocked and mined.