Croatia to help Ukraine with grain exports
Ukraine and Croatia have agreed on facilitating exports of Ukrainian grain from Croatian ports following Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain initiative, Ukrainian foreign ministry Dmytro Kuleba said on Monday.
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Gordan Grlić Radman, the Croatian foreign minister, came to Ukraine to discuss bilateral relations and assistance to Kyiv as it repels Russia’s full-scale aggression.
"We have agreed on the possibility of using Croatian ports on the Danube and the Adriatic Sea to transport Ukrainian grain. Now we will work to build the most efficient routes to these ports and make the most of this opportunity," Mr Kuleba told a briefing following talks with the Croatian counterpart.
"Every contribution to unblocking exports, every open door is a real, effective contribution to the world's food security. I am grateful to Croatia for its constructive assistance."
Last week, the Ukrainian Grain Association called on the European commission to facilitate grain shipments from Ukraine through alternative routes, including the Croatian port of Rijeka.
It is the largest port in Croatia with a capacity of 13.6 million tonnes per year.
On July 17, 2023, Russia announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, adding that it would not give guarantees of non-attack on civilian vessels after that date.
On the same day, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered the UN and Turkey to continue the work of the corridor without Russia.
After that, Russia attacked Odesa for several nights in a row, causing serious damage to the ports in Odesa and Chornomorsk, which worked within the corridor.