BLACK SEA GRAIN DEAL
CONTEXT:
- Recently Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he was confident Russia would “soon” revive the Black Sea grain deal, which was signed in July 2022 and assured safe passage to ships carrying grain from Ukraine. In July this year, Russia refused to extend the deal.
WHAT IS BLACK SEA GRAIN DEAL ?
- Ukraine is among the world’s biggest exporters of food grains, such as wheat and corn, and a major contributor to the UN’s food aid programmes.
- After Russia attacked the country and blockaded its ports, it sent food prices soaring and raised fears of food security in the poorer nations of the world.
- To tackle the situation, the UN and Turkey, on July 22, 2022, got Russia to agree to the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
- Under this initiaitive, cargo ships would be allowed to travel from and to three Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi (Yuzhny), after inspection that they weren’t carrying arms.
- The safe passage in the Black Sea was 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide.
- The deal was extended twice before Russia withdrew from it.
IMPACT AFTER SUSPENSION OF DEAL :
- Since its refusal to extend the end, Moscow has repeatedly attacked the Odesa region, which is Ukraine’s main Black Sea port.
- A Russian drone strike targeted the Danube River port of Izmail in Odesa, damaging warehouses and buildings, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
- Russia is also looking to export grain to African nations.
- Putin said Moscow was close to a deal with six African countries over a plan to supply Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Eritrea with up to 50,000 tonnes of grain.
- Russia would supply the food and carry out logistics at no cost, and deliveries would begin in the next couple of weeks.
SYLLABUS: PRELIMS, CURRENT AFFAIRS