After having departed from a Black Sea port, corn-transporting cargo carriers Polarnet and Rojen will undergo an inspection by a delegation of the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, according to the press release of Turkey's Ministry of National Defense on Friday.

Tonnes of corn to reach the UK 

"A ship carrying 13,000 tonnes of corn departed from the port of Chernomorsk and is heading from Ukraine to the United Kingdom. The course of the Maltese-flagged ship Rojen is also being constantly monitored by the Joint Coordination Center," the statement read.

The ministry added that the Turkish-flagged ship Polarnet was halted in Chernomorsk's port, but now departed for Karasu's port, located east of Istanbul.

"The ship carrying 12,000 tonnes of corn will be inspected by a joint inspection team north of Istanbul before arriving in Karasu," the statement said.

The UN-mediated initiative for food security

Known as the Black Sea grain initiative, mediated by the UN and signed by Ukraine, Russia and Turkey on July 22, formed the Joint Coordination Center and intended to ensure that exports of food and fertilizer reach those in need from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea being Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny. 

The center will audit the implementation of the Black Sea grain initiative to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor for shipping exports and will perform inspections of the cargo vessels to guarantee that they do not harbor unauthorized goods or personnel. 

Under the agreement’s conditions, the route of the cargo carriers is as follows: the carriers will be led by Ukrainian vessels into international waters of the Black Sea, steering away from mined areas, and will thus carry onwards toward the Bosphorus Strait along an established corridor.

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