Zelensky discusses grain export with Guterres, cooperation with Erdogan at Lviv meeting
MOSCOW. Aug 19 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres agreed at their meeting in Lviv to continue coordination as part of the implementation of the grain initiative, Ukrainian media said on Thursday, citing the presidential website.
"Ukraine is ready to continue acting as a guarantor of global food security," Zelensky said.
Zelensky and Guterres also agreed parameters of a possible mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
When commenting on the situation around the Zaporizhzhya NPP, the Ukrainian president underscored the absence of any obstacles to an IAEA mission reaching this facility via Ukrainian territory.
"There are no objective obstacles to prevent the IAEA mission from reaching the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Today, Mr. Guterres and I discussed the parameters of this mission and the fact that it can get to the plant very quickly and quite safely in a legal way through the territory of our state. And only like that," Zelensky said in a video address on Thursday evening.
In Lviv, Zelensky also met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss grain exports from Ukraine, among other issues.
According to a report on the Ukrainian presidential website, Zelensky and Erdogan positively assessed the way the grain export initiative is being implemented. Zelensky also said Turkey and personally Erdogan played a leading role in this initiative's launch and implementation, adding that it will help overcome the global food crisis.
The leaders also discussed the possibility of upgrading the initiative, making the implementation safer and increasing exports.
Furthermore, in the presence of Zelensky and Erdogan, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and Turkish Minister of Trade Mehmet Mus signed a memorandum that allows Turkey to take part in Ukraine's post-crisis rebuilding.
"Turkey is our strategic ally. We are grateful to Turkish partners for their readiness for cooperation in restoring infrastructure. Turkish business has a vast record of building roads and bridges, in particular the Zaporizhzhya and Kremenchuk bridges, and has proven to be a reliable partner. That's why, we expect to reach concrete practical result of the joint restoration project in the near future," Kubrakov said.
The idea is that Turkish governmental organizations and businesses will be able to carry out specific restoration projects in Ukraine and offer consultative and technical assistance.
A Ukrainian-Turkish working group in charge of restoration projects will be formed in the near future. It will work out mechanisms that will help draw Turkish investment for specific projects, according to the report.