According to Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), Ukraine suffered more than USD 1 billion in losses due to vessel downtime in the grain corridor queues.
UGA's President Mykola Gorbachev stated this on the Freedom TV channel, Ukrinform reports citing UGA.
"This is the money that Ukrainian farmers did not receive. This is the money that traders paid to ship owners for standing in line for a very long time," he said.
Gorbachev noted that the Russian side does not accept Ukraine's plans and conditions for prioritizing inspections of ships in the queue. This prevents port terminals from operating rhythmically.
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The UGA President added that Ukraine supplies half of its agricultural exports through seaports operating under the Grain Initiative. According to Gorbachev, the shutdown of the Pivdennyi port and its exclusion from the agreement was "another victory for Russia in the bargaining" taking place during the talks in Istanbul.
In his opinion, Russians are manipulating the data and trying to introduce any "turbulence" into the negotiations. "Pivdennyi port is one of the most efficient in terms of grain shipment. Accordingly, it has been the most loaded," Gorbachev added.
He noted that the issue of exporting Ukrainian agricultural products from the port has not yet been resolved.
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As Ukrinform reported, on March 18, 2023, Ukraine, the United Nations, and Türkiye agreed to extend the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Agricultural Products through the Black Sea. The agreement was extended for 120 days, but Russia stated that the agreement would be valid until May 18, 2023.
On May 17, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration - Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, said that the agreement would be in effect until July 18, 2023.
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On May 21, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine stated that the Russian side in the Joint Coordination Center had been blocking the work of the Pivdennyi port for almost a month.
