By Arul Louis United Nations, Aug 19 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is taking a kind of triumph turn in Ukraine to commemorate the small victory for the UN which was hampered by vetoes that prevent it from implementing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While in Lviv in Ukraine, Guterres on Thursday said that the agreement that allows the export of Ukrainian food grains “reflects the triumph of diplomacy”.
It will benefit “vulnerable vulnerable people in every part of the globe,” he told reporters in Lviv noting that worldwide “wheat prices fell by up to eight percent after the signature of these agreements”.
The UN chief fought tirelessly to achieve what the UN proudly calls the Black Sea Grain Initiative by negotiating with Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to establish a safe route for vessels to resume the export of foodgrains from Ukraine.
The deal that was reached in July also raised the prominence of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has been positioned as the main interlocutors between Russia and Ukraine and plays a major role in facilitating exports of the Straits of Bosphorus.
Guterres who had a meeting with Erdogan as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Lviv on Thursday and was able to see the diplomacy behind the grain program as a way to end the conflict.
“The parties have been working professionally and in good faith to ensure that the food flowing” he said while appealing to them “for this to continue to overcome any obstacle in the spirit of compromise and resolve any issues”.
“In less than a month 21 ships have left from Ukrainian ports, and 15 ships have left Istanbul to Ukraine for loading with with grain as well as other items,” the UN chief declared.
“As we are writing over 5,60,000 metric tons of grains and other food made by Ukrainian farmers is being transported to markets across the globe,” he added.
He will be visiting Odessa’s port in Odessa that was attacked by Russia to witness the return of exports.
The agreement came after every attempt to be made by the UN Security Council on Ukraine — including condemnation of the war — was rejected by Moscow, highlighting the UN’s inability to act in a matter of global significance and increasing doubts about the role of the UN.
Although the UN General Assembly has condemned the Russian invasion however, in contrast to the Council it has no power to take action on it.
The attack against Ukrainian ports and mines in the Black Sea from the conflict prevented exports of foodgrains from Ukraine, threatening the food security situation in the world.
Because Ukraine is responsible for more than 10 percent of world exports of wheat and more than 15 percent of corn and more than 20 percent of barley, prices for food were rising across the world , while many emerging countries faced the threat of an imminent food shortage.
“A record-breaking 345 million people in the 82 countries are currently experiencing acute food insecurity, while up 50 million people in 45 nations are in the middle of food insecurity and could be overwhelmed without support from humanitarian organizations” The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
The WFP has launched the first humanitarian cargo from Ukraine this week, sending 23,000 tonnes of wheat to nations in the Horn of Africa.
According to the Black Sea Initiative agreements, ships transporting foodgrains are inspected by an Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Centre with the participation of the UN and the three countries.
Erdogan who hosted unproductive talks between Ukraine and Russia in March, but who collaborated with Guterres to negotiate the agreement to export foodgrains declared in Lviv that he believed that the war will eventually be resolved at the negotiating table.
He also said the fact that Zelensky as well as Guterres “are in fact of the same view,” according to the Turkish President’s Office.
In his offer to act as mediator In response, the Turkish President stated, “It is all about finding the most efficient and most fair route to the table for negotiations.”
He said he would inform Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday’s discussions with Guterres and Zelensky.
(Arul Louis may be reached via [email protected] and he can be followed via @arulouis.)
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