Turkish agricultural group proposes Black Sea grain trade security plan

The Turkish Agricultural Diplomacy Group has proposed creating a new international mechanism to protect agricultural trade and civilian shipping in the Black Sea. The initiative envisages the participation of Turkey, the UN, countries in the region, international financial institutions, as well as representatives of the grain, shipping and insurance sectors.

The proposed mechanism consists of seven elements. These include a limited non-strike arrangement covering grain infrastructure, a safe navigation system for civilian vessels carrying agricultural cargoes, international coordination based in Turkey, and a verifiable registry of vessels transporting food and agricultural commodities.

The plan also includes a war-risk insurance and guarantee mechanism for civilian vessels carrying grain, oilseeds, vegetable oils and fertilizers. Turkey, international financial institutions, and private insurance and reinsurance companies could be involved in establishing the facility.

The proposal also calls for increasing the capacity of alternative routes through Danube ports, railways and roads, particularly connections with Romania and Bulgaria. At the same time, the group notes that alternative logistics cannot fully replace deep-sea Black Sea ports.

The Turkish Agricultural Diplomacy Group proposes drawing on the experience of the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative while adapting the new mechanism to current security and trade conditions. The initiative remains a proposal and would require separate negotiations among the parties concerned.

Tags: Black Sea, grain trade, security plan, Turkey