Black Sea export corridors to be opened by weekend - Kubrakov

Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Infrastructure, stated this at the Ukraine-Ukrinform Media Center.

"It is expected that in the next few days, the coordination center for compliance with the "grain agreements" will be operational in Istanbul. Work is ongoing on the coordination of the latest documents, and the Agreement should be operational by the end of the week. The activity of the coordination center consists in monitoring the functioning of the humanitarian corridor and does not extend to the territorial waters of Ukraine", he said.

In addition, the minister explained that for the Ukrainian side, the fundamental issue was that Ukraine should control everything in territorial waters and ports. Representatives of other countries or the UN were not there and will not be there.

"The signing of the Agreement and all this work is due to the fact that our Armed Forces and the Navy regained control over Zmiinyi Island. After that, we opened access to the mouth of 

Bystry to the Danube. In two weeks, about 70 ships passed through this mouth", Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

Demining will take place in the corridor that is necessary for the export of grain, but due to the fact that there are quite a large number of mines, the rescue ships will be the first to go.

"It is fundamentally important that Ukraine receives foreign currency income, and the opening of sea ports will allow it to receive about a billion dollars per month. It is also important that our farmers receive financing and plan the sowing season", the Minister of Infrastructure emphasized.

Oleksandr Kubrakov noted that if the Russian Federation repeats the shelling and those who signed the Agreement cannot guarantee security, exports will not work.