Posted on August, 22, 2023 at 09:20 am
Officials from Ukraine and Romania have signed a deal that would allow Kyiv to transit its grains through its neighbour’s land.
Multiple news sources have reported that around 60% of Ukraine’s grains would be transported through Romania.
Romania has become Ukraine’s third largest trading partner in Europe, according to Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Prime Minister of Romania Marcel Ciolacu during a joint briefing in Bucharest on Friday, 18 August.
Shmyhal said: “Special attention in our cooperation with Romania is paid to the development of the Danube ports and Black Sea trade routes. We hope that expert consultations and joint work will allow us to lift restrictive measures on Ukrainian grain exports after 15 September. This is important for our economy and global food security.”
Russia announced its decision to terminate the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative in July this year. The Black Sea initiative was agreed by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN in July 2022, along with a parallel accord between the UN and Russia on grain and fertiliser exports from the country. It facilitated the export of more than 30 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain to global markets via three Black Sea ports.
Before the deal fell through, Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta had emerged as Ukraine’s biggest alternative shipping route, according to Reuters.
Following the decision, on the nights of 18 and 19 July, Russia launched attacks on Ukraine port infrastructure involved in the Black Sea Grain initiative, officials announced at the time.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine said that 60,000 tonnes of grain were destroyed in the port of Chornomorsk, which was due to be loaded on a large-tonnage ship and sent through the grain corridor 60 days prior.
Source: Foodbev