UN chief, Norway, France thank Türkiye for leadership as 1st grain-laden ship leaves Ukraine

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres thanked Türkiye on Monday for its efforts and leadership as a nascent deal to resume grain exports from Ukraine saw its first ship depart from the port of Odesa.

The departure of the Sierra Leone-flagged dry cargo ship Razoni marked an "important starting point" for the agreement, Guterres said. "It must be the first of many commercial ships bringing relief and stability to global food markets," he added.

"Today's departure is an enormous collective achievement by the Joint Coordination Center, set up last week in Istanbul under United Nations auspices, with representatives from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and Türkiye," the UN chief told reporters.

"Ensuring that grain, fertilizers, and other food-related items are available at reasonable prices to developing countries is a humanitarian imperative. People on the verge of famine need these agreements to work in order to survive," he said.

”Today’s shipment of #grain from #Odesa is an important first step in reducing global food insecurity. #Ukraine is a reliable partner,” the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.

Norway thanked the UN and Türkiye for their important role in facilitating the transport, it said, adding that continued implementation of the agreement will be crucial.

Sweden welcomed the first export of grain through the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which will help reduce global food insecurity, the Swedish foreign minister said on Twitter.

Ann Linde thanked UNOCHA and UNCTAD for their relentless work.

Hailing this morning’s departure, the French Foreign Ministry said it is an important step forward in the implementation of the agreement reached under the auspices of the UN – an agreement that must continue to be implemented in the long term. France commended the efforts of the UN and Türkiye in this regard, it added.

The country also called on the parties to continue secure exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to reduce global food insecurity aggravated by the Russian aggression in Ukraine, it said.

”In this regard, France condemns Russia’s ongoing indiscriminate airstrikes, including those against the port of Odesa, which jeopardize the implementation of this agreement,” it added.

"A ship carrying Ukrainian grain has officially left this Black Sea port in Odesa for the first time since end-February. This is progress. This is HOPE. Let's keep it going!" David Beasley, the head of the UN World Food Program, said on Twitter.

The Razoni is due to arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday for an inspection under the historic agreement to facilitate grain and foodstuff exports. The vessel is bound for the Lebanese port of Tripoli in the country's north.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal on July 22 to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny – for grain that has been stuck for months because of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, which is now in its sixth month.

To oversee Ukrainian grain exports, a joint coordination center in Istanbul officially opened on Wednesday, comprising representatives from Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine to enable the safe transportation, by merchant ships, of commercial foodstuffs and fertilizers from the three key Ukrainian Black Sea ports.