Turkey: New route to export grain under Black Sea grain initiative

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The Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul announced in a statement on Thursday that a new route to export grain under the Black Sea initiative has been established from three Ukrainian ports. 
 
"The Joint Coordination Center (JCC) announced today a new route for merchant vessels going in and departing from the three Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi/Yuzhny under the Black Sea Grain Initiative," the statement said. 

Read: Ukraine to begin grain export following agreement with Russia

The new 320-nautical-mile long route connects the three Ukrainian ports with the inspection areas inside Ankara's territorial waters, according to the statement, and is expected to be more efficient for the vessels to export the grain.

The new route will come into effect on August 26.

The Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed that two vessels loaded with agricultural products left the Ukrainian port of Chernomorsk on August 20, after being authorized by the JCC, which brought the total number of ships that left Ukrainian ports under the United Nations-brokered grain export deal to 27.

It is noteworthy that a maritime humanitarian corridor controlled by JCC inspectors is being used for agricultural exports from Ukraine.

On July 22, Russia and Ukraine signed the United Nations-brokered Black Sea Initiative on grain and fertilizer exports.

Grain and fertilizer would be exported from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny under the agreement, and cargo carriers would be guided into international waters by Ukrainian vessels to avoid mined areas. Then the vessels would proceed toward the Bosphorus Strait along an established corridor.

The parties also established the JCC in Istanbul on July 27, which includes representatives from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations. The JCC monitors the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative and inspects cargo ships to ensure that no unauthorized goods or personnel are aboard.

The agreement is valid for 120 days and can be automatically extended without the need for further negotiations.