U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) for monitoring grain exports across the Black Sea under the Türkiye-brokered grain corridor agreement in Istanbul on Saturday.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar during his visit to the JCC, the U.N. chief thanked Türkiye for its "pivotal role" in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
"Another part of the deal is unimpeded access to global markets of Russian food, and fertilizer, which are not subject to sanctions," he said, adding that it is "important" that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market.
Guterres noted that every member of the delegations represented at the JCC – Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish and U.N. – have been working with dedication and professionalism.
"They embody what we can achieve with political will, top operational expertise, and collective effort," he said.
Highlighting that the "critical agreement" already showed its potential, "We are at the beginning of a much longer process," he said.
He underlined that more than 650,000 metric tons of grain and other food are already on their way to markets around the world.
Risk of 2023 global food crisis
Guterres said that the U.N. is working with the United States and European Union in removing U.S. and EU obstacles to Russian fertilizers and food reaching global markets. "There are a certain number of obstacles and difficulties that need to be overcome in relation to shipping... to insurance and... finance," he said.
Russian fertilizers and agricultural products must be able to reach world markets "unimpeded" or a global food crisis could strike as early as next year, Guterres warned.
"Without fertilizer in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023," the U.N. chief said. "Getting more food, and fertilizer out of Ukraine, Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices for consumers," he added.
Russia and Ukraine accounted for around a third of global wheat exports before the Russia-Ukraine war. Russia is also a major exporter of fertilizer.
Türkiye, the U.N., Russia and Ukraine signed the Türkiye-brokered deal last month to resume grain exports from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports of Yuzhny, Chernomorsk and Odessa, which were halted due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its sixth month.
For his part, Akar said that since Aug. 1, 51 ships have sailed for grain shipments, of which 27 have set off with loads, while 24 have entered Ukrainian ports.
On the amount of grain exported, Akar said, "We consider that this number will gradually increase."
"A total of 14 representatives from Türkiye, 22 from Russia, 12 from Ukraine and 23 from the U.N. are currently employed by the center, which operates under the auspices of the U.N. and is hosted by Türkiye," Akar said, adding that there are no military elements in the field.