(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
The United Nations, Türkiye, Russia and Ukraine issued
long-awaited procedures on Monday for merchant ships exporting
Ukrainian grain and fertilizer through the Black Sea, according to
a document, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah .
Ships exporting Ukraine grain through the Black Sea will be
protected by a 10 nautical mile buffer zone, according to the
procedures seen by Reuters.
The U.N. and Türkiye brokered the agreement last month to
unblock grain supplies after warnings that the halt in shipments
was stoking severe food shortages and even outbreaks of famine in
parts of the world.
Since then, a number of grain shipments – mainly onboard vessels
that were stuck in Ukraine – have left in test voyages.
Insurers and shipping companies have been seeking more details
on how the corridor will work for empty ships that will sail into
three Ukrainian ports involved in the initiative: Odessa,
Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.
They have also sought assurances that the journey is secure with
no threat of mines or attacks to both the ships and their crews.
These are typically covered in accepted maritime practices known as
standard operating procedures.
“The parties will not undertake any attacks against merchant
vessels or other civilian vessels and port facilities engaged in
this initiative,” the“procedures for merchant vessels” document
said.
The deal is overseen by a Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in
Istanbul made up of Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian military
officials and U.N. personnel.
According to the procedures agreed, the JCC will provide
information on the planned movement of ships through the maritime
humanitarian corridor, which will be shared with Russia, Ukraine
and Türkiye's military to prevent incidents.
Then as the vessel moves through the maritime humanitarian
corridor it will be protected by a 10-nautical mile circle buffer
zone around it.
“No military vessel, aircraft or UAVs (drones) will close to
within 10 nautical miles of a merchant vessel transiting the
Maritime Humanitarian Corridor, excluding territorial seas of
Ukraine,” according to the document.
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