Lviv, Ukraine/New York, August 18 – Under war conditions, over 560,000 metric tons of Ukraine’s grain and other food stapples are being shipped abroad and the global food market has begun to stabilize, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a meeting with the presidents of Turkey and Ukraine.

“The positive momentum on the food front reflects a victory for diplomacy – for multilateralism – for people caught in the grips of a cost-of-living crisis – and for the hard-working farmers of Ukraine. But it is only the beginning. I urge all parties to ensure continued success.” Guterres said in a meeting with Turkeye’s President Recept Tayyip Erdogan and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Lviv, Ukraine.

The trilateral meeting took place for the first time since the launch in July of the Black Sea Initiative to resume shipments of Ukraine’s wheat grain, food products and Russia’s fertilizers that had been stuck in Black Sea ports since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year.

Guterres said there are critical signs that the global food markets are beginning to stabilize with wheat prices dropping by as much as 8 per cent following the signing of the agreements. He said the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Price Index fell by 9 per cent in July – the biggest decline since 2008.

“Most food commodities are now trading at prices below pre-war levels. But let’s have no illusions – there is a long way to go before this will be translated into the daily life of people at their local bakery and in their markets,” he said, adding that supply chains are still disrupted and energy and transportation costs remain “unacceptably high.”

 Since the Joint Coordination Center was established in Istanbul on July 27 to oversee the food shipping operations, a total 21 outbound and 15 inbound ships through what is known as a maritime humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea, which allows safe exports of Ukraine’s grains and Russian fertilizers. Countries that have received those commercial shipments so far included Türkiye, South Korea, China, Ireland, Italy, Djibouti and Romania.

A ship chartered by the World Food Program (WFP) left a a port in Odessa on August 16 with the first humanitarian cargo of 23,000 metric tons of Ukraine’s wheat grain to Ethiopia.

Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant zone should be demilitarized

Guterres said he discussed “efforts to advance the cause of peace” with the presidents of Turkey and Ukraine and he remains “gravely concerned” about the fighting in and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which is the largest in Europe.

“We must spare no effort to ensure that plant’s facilities or surroundings are not a target of military operations. Military equipment and personnel should be withdrawn from the plant. Further deployment of forces or equipment to the site must be avoided. The area needs to be demilitarized,” he said.

“We must tell it like it is – any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia is suicide. “

Fact-finding mission

Guterres said he has decided to set up a fact-finding mission to investigate the explosion in a facility in Olenivka on July 29 which reportedly killed dozens of detained Ukrainian soldiers.

He said he intended to appoint General Carlos dos Santos Cruz of Brazil to lead the mission, the Terms of Reference of which have been shared with Ukraine and Russia as well as the make-up of the team.

“What happened there is unacceptable. All prisoners of war are protected under International Humanitarian Law. The International Committee of the Red Cross must have access to them..” he said. “The team must be able to gather and analyze necessary information. Above all, that means safe, secure and unfettered access to people, places and evidence without any interference from any party,” he said.“We will continue to do all we can to advance this and other efforts. “

By J. Tuyet Nguyen

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