Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister to Visit Turkey on Tuesday

Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov will visit Turkey on Tuesday to discuss the status of an agreement allowing the safe export of wartime grain from several Ukrainian Black Sea ports, the Ministry of Infrastructure said. Turkish defense this Monday.

Kubrakov will meet Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in the Turkish city of Kayseri, a ministry statement said.

The UN-brokered Black Sea grain export deal was renewed for 60 days last month, but Russia has signaled it may not agree to extend it further unless the West removes obstacles to grain exports and Russian fertilizers.

Ukraine said on Monday the grain deal was in danger of “closing” after Russia blocked inspections of participating vessels in Turkish waters.

Ukraine’s Black Sea ports were blocked after Russia’s invasion last year, but access to three of them was granted last July under a deal hatched by the United Nations and Turkey.

Kubrakov will visit at Akar’s invitation, the ministry’s statement said, adding that the ministers will discuss several bilateral issues, including the Black Sea grain initiative.

blocks

Ukraine has been struggling with restrictions on the circulation of its products since its territory was invaded by Russia. The Slovakian government approved, this Monday (17), a ban on the import of agricultural products, in an attempt to protect local markets.

The same measure was announced at the end of the week by Poland and Hungary. Other countries in Central and Eastern Europe said they were also considering action.

Some Black Sea ports were blocked after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year and large amounts of Ukrainian grain – which is cheaper than that produced in the European Union – ended up in Central European countries because of logistical problems. .

Local farmers say this has lowered prices and reduced their sales, and governments have asked the European Union to act.