Russia and Ukraine will sign an agreement on grain export in Istanbul on Friday afternoon, the presidency of Turkey announced on Thursday evening. The signing ceremony will be attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, as well as representatives of Russia and Ukraine.
The United States on Thursday welcomed the Russia-Ukraine grain export agreement signed in Istanbul on Friday and called on Moscow to implement it, a State Department spokesman said. “We welcome the announcement of this agreement in principle, but it is now important for us to hold Russia accountable for the implementation of this agreement and allow Ukrainian grains to reach world markets.”said Ned Price.
Ukraine is a major grain exporter
“We should never have been in this situation to begin with. Using food as a weapon was a deliberate decision by Russia., he added. Ned Price, in particular, welcomed the diplomatic efforts of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkey, which has often clashed with the US in recent years over Syria and arms purchases from Russia.
The spokesperson of American diplomacy noted that Washington was informed about the details of the agreement. Food prices have risen around the world, particularly affecting the poorest countries, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major grain exporter. The agreement, negotiated for more than two months, aims to bring about 20 million tons of grain stockpiled in Ukrainian silos, especially in Odesa (in the south), across the Black Sea, and make it easier for Russia to export grain and fertilizer.
Source: Le Figaro
