Ukraine preparing to start vessel movement from country's seaports this week – Infrastructure Minister
The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine plans to start moving ships from the country's ports this week as part of the initiative for the export of grain and related foodstuffs by sea, signed in Istanbul on July 22, minister Oleksandr Kubrakov has said during a press conference on Monday.
"In Istanbul, over the next two days, internal technical documents of the coordination center will be developed, and it is expected that it will start working on July 27," Kubrakov said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.
He noted that the activity of the coordination center is to supervise and coordinate the functioning of the humanitarian corridor, but does not extend to the territorial waters of Ukraine. "In the territorial waters of Ukraine, exclusively Ukrainian authorities have the competence to administer and ensure all processes," the minister stressed.
He again noted that the opening of ports would bring Ukraine additional $1 billion.
According to the estimates of the Ministry of Infrastructure, the monthly export of agricultural products could reach 3 million tonnes, while Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solsky said that it could be even higher.
Kubrakov stressed that ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea was due to the liberation of Snake Island by the Ukrainian troops.
At the same time, according to the minister, the demining process will be carried out exclusively in the corridor for the passage of ship caravans, and all caravans will be accompanied by rescue ships of the Ministry of Infrastructure.