UN chief Guterres visits Port of Odesa, calls for unimpeded access to Ukrainian grain

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says more needs to be done to secure complete worldwide access to Ukrainian food goods as well as Russian food and fertilisers.

He stated this at a briefing in Ukraine during a visit to the Black Sea port of Odesa on Friday to oversee the movement of grain, a day after he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Lviv.

The UN Chief urged wealthier countries “to open their wallets and their hearts” for those bearing the brunt of global food crisis aggravated by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Guterres called for unimpeded access to global markets for Russian food and fertilisers which are not subject to sanctions.

Accompanied by Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, Guterres inspected the loading of grain bound for global markets.

The military conflict that began in late February had disrupted global agricultural exports from Russia and Ukraine, two grain exporting powerhouses, pushing international prices.

It is very emotional for me to see grain being loaded again on ship in Odesa. This ship also carries hope for the world’s most vulnerable people and countries. #WorldHumanitarianDay pic.twitter.com/lgXPrTGt7q

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 19, 2022

However, as many as 25 ships loaded with thousands of tons of agricultural products have departed Ukraine since last month’s landmark food export deal, brokered by Türkiye and the UN, opened up three Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

Guterres is also scheduled to visit the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, formed as part of the grain deal to carry out inspections, on Saturday.