Russia and Ukraine have signed a deal to reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports, Turkey and the United Nations said, raising hopes that an international food crisis aggravated by the Russian invasion can be eased.
Russia and Ukraine, both among the world's biggest exporters of food, sent their defence and infrastructure ministers respectively to Istanbul to take part in the signing ceremony, the two sides said.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed the deal as a 'an agreement for the world', though admitted it 'did not come easy... it has been a long road'.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose country provided a neutral ground on which to sign the treaty, was quick to lap up praise for his part in organising the arrangement.
'We are proud to be instrumental in an initiative that will play a major role in solving global food crisis that has been on the agenda for a long time,' he said.
He went on to boldly claim: 'War will end at the negotiating table. This is a turning point.'
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