Sybiha Presses WTO Chief on Black Sea Shipping, Remote Audits

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has urged World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to support international efforts to restore safe shipping in the Black Sea, amid ongoing Russian attacks on civilian vessels and ports that have already begun disrupting global food supplies due to a sharp rise in prices. The two spoke via telephone, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry on Friday. The WTO chief was also briefed on Russia’s escalating strikes on civilians across Ukraine, including the deadly strike on a residential building in Pryluky on Wednesday, that left 22 people dead.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Russian attacks on civilian vessels, sailors, and Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea pose a threat to global food supply chains. The security of shipping must be restored without delay,” Sybiha said, adding that Kyiv is counting on WTO’s support to achieve a just peace. Ports under constant pressure While the Black Sea ports and their maritime corridor technically remain open, reciprocal strikes between Russia and Ukraine have increased in recent months, making food shipping severely dangerous and effectively functioning as a blockade. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, at least 274 civilian vessels and 1,173 port infrastructure facilities have been damaged or partially destroyed, Ukraine’s Ministry for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport reported on Sept. 14. Other Topics of Interest US Congress Delegation Backs Expanded Starlink Access for Ukraine US Representative Dan Crenshaw said Elon Musk should risk escalation to help Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks to use Starlink for long-range drone strikes inside Russia. Since then, the escalation has continued and increased, with Russia consistently targeting foreign-flagged civilian vessels heading towards Ukrainian ports. Drone incursions and violation of EU members have also increased, particularly in Romania and Turkey. The latest strike on a civilian vessel was recorded on Monday, Oct. 5, when a Russian drone strike on a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn. The Royad Mammadov sank in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, killing its captain and leaving other crew members displaced. “Freedom of navigation cannot depend on whether Moscow decides to observe it on one day or another,” Sybiha said, adding that the strike proves particularly cynical given Turkey’s ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions, advance peace initiatives and ensure security in the region. Since late June, at least 25 Turkish-owned or Turkish-operated merchant vessels have been caught in the crossfire in the Black Sea. The Kremlin has previously responded to international criticism by asserting that commercial vessels were being used to transport weapons, ammunition, and fuel for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), announcing that Moscow would continue destroying such shipping. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov similarly claimed that Russian attacks on transport arteries were retaliatory measures following Ukrainian long-range strikes against Russian economic and refining assets. So far, Russia has also rejected all peace proposals from the US and Turkey, claiming it would only benefit Ukraine. Kyiv’s push for remote audits With sea routes under attack, Sybiha said, opening new markets for Ukrainian agricultural products has become especially important, and remote audits could be key to that effort. According to the Foreign Minister, Ukraine had developed unique experience with the tool during the war and has agreed with the EU, UK and Canada to apply it in practice. This could “make global agricultural trade more resilient,” he said. In remote audits, foreign regulators can review a country’s food safety controls without having to travel there for an on-site inspection. Sybiha reiterated that Ukraine is ready to advance and promote, within the WTO, “an international standard for conducting remote audits and inspections and for recognizing their results.” He appealed to Okonjo-Iweala for help towards building support for the initiative among other WTO members, subsequently expressing gratitude to the WTO chief for “an open and constructive exchange of views.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.