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- Center will be staffed by officials from the two warring parties and delegates from Turkey and the UN
- One-third of the world鈥檚 wheat supply comes from Russia and Ukraine
ISTANBUL: Turkey on Wednesday formally opened a joint coordination center for Ukrainian grain exports under a UN-backed deal aimed at resuming shipments for the first time since Russia鈥檚 February invasion of its neighbor.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar unveiled the center at a ceremony held five days after Moscow and Kyiv put their names on a deal designed to deliver wheat and other grain across the Black Sea from three designated Ukrainian ports.
The center will be staffed by civilian and military officials from the two warring parties and delegates from Turkey and the UN.
Their primary assignment involves monitoring the safe passage of Ukrainian grain ships along established routes and overseeing their inspection for banned weapons on the way into and out of the Black Sea.
鈥淭he staff working at this center are aware that the eyes of the world are upon them,鈥� Akar told reporters in his opening address.
鈥淚t is our hope that the center will make greatest contribution possible to humanitarian needs and peace.鈥�
The blockage of deliveries from two of the world鈥檚 biggest grain exporters has contributed to a spike in prices that has made food imports prohibitively expensive for some of the world鈥檚 poorest countries.
UN estimates say nearly 50 million people began to face 鈥渁cute hunger鈥� around the world as a direct consequence of the war.
Wheat prices fell sharply hours after the grain deal was signed.
But a Russian missile strike on Ukraine鈥檚 Black Sea port of Odessa on Saturday put the agreement under renewed doubt.
Akar said that one-third of the world鈥檚 wheat supply came from Russia and Ukraine.