TE24 International Desk:
The United Nations and Turkey will open a joint Russia-Ukraine center in Istanbul on Wednesday to coordinate the restart. Grain transport across the Black Sea. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Defense of Turkey said that the center will be officially inaugurated in a ceremony attended by the Minister of Defense of Turkey, Hulusi Akar.
A Russian defense delegation flew to Istanbul for a ceremony on Tuesday, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
The joint command and control center was agreed in Istanbul on Friday as part of a landmark deal between the warring parties between the federation and Turkey. Ukrainian officials said Monday they plan to send the first grain-laden ship later this week since Russia invaded in February. Blocking shipments from two of the world’s largest grain exporters has led to high prices and exorbitant food imports for some of the world’s poorest countries.
The United Nations estimates that around 50 million people worldwide suffer from “severe hunger” as a direct result of the war. A few hours after the grain trade was signed, wheat prices fell. But on Saturday, Russia launched a missile attack on Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odessa, again raising questions about the deal.
