Russia and Ukraine sign grain export deal in Turkey

(Patria) - Russia and Ukraine signed a grain export deal in Istanbul today. 

During the signing ceremony in Istanbul, representatives of Russia and Ukraine did not sit at the same table, Reuters reports. Kyiv and Moscow thus signed two identical texts, but they did so separately at the request of Ukraine, which refuses to initial any document with Russia.

Four delegations gathered at the Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus in Istanbul: the UN delegation led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and the Turkish delegation, which was strongly engaged in the negotiations, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More than 20 million tons of grain in blocked Ukrainian Black Sea ports will now be able to be exported.

The agreement signed today by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the UN offered hope that food prices would begin to fall. Namely, many world food producers use grain imported from Ukraine, but the Russian blockade of Black Sea ports has put great pressure on supply.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the signing of the agreement that it would "save billions of people facing hunger" due to the blockade of Ukrainian ports, adding that it should reduce inflationary pressures on food prices.

"This agreement could be a turning point that will revive hope for peace," added Erdogan, who, along with the UN, played an important role in reaching the agreement.