MADRID, 3 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
A total of six ships loaded with grain have left this Thursday from Ukrainian ports after the agreement to reactivate the pact reached in June, as announced by the Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, within the framework of the mediation work carried out by Ankara.
“After the restart of the initiative on grain, six ships have left Ukrainian ports. In this way, the number of ships that have sailed from the port exceeds 426, with a total of transported grain that exceeds 9.7 million tons ( of cereals),” he detailed, as reported by the Turkish state news agency, Anatolia.
“Now we will intensify our efforts within the framework determined by our president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) for the extension of the grain initiative, which will expire on November 19,” he explained, before showing Turkey’s “sincere will” that the conflict concludes through peaceful means.
Hours after the reactivation of the pact was announced on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that he would again order Russia’s exit from it if Ukraine fails to meet its commitments, particularly in terms of security. Instead, he guaranteed that he would not hinder the shipment of grain from Ukraine to Turkey, a country he considers “neutral.”
The United Nations and Turkey acted as mediators before said signing in July and also during the implementation of the signed commitments. For his part, Erdogan has launched a new round of contacts with the parties in recent hours to try to reach an agreement with a view to an extension of this measure.
