The Black Sea is a vital lifeline for several countries, being their only gateway to global maritime trade.  Despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the country has exported around 15 million metric tons of cargo since August via its Black Sea corridor. Kyiv had launched what it calls a temporary humanitarian corridor after Moscow withdrew from a 2022 Black Sea grain deal brokered by the UN and Turkiye. Before Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in February 2022, the nation exported around 6 million tons of food per month through the Black Sea.

In a boost to securing this strategic body of water, Turkiye, Romania and Bulgaria inked a deal on demining the Black Sea. Since the fighting broke out in 2022, the Russian navy has mined Ukraine's coastline, but some of those explosives have drifted into the waters of NATO countries. The deal is also expected to secure Kyiv's grain exports along the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts. Turkyie and Ukraine are also set to ratify a free trade agreement they signed two years ago, which is expected to heavily boost their already $8 billion dollar trade relationship.

Strait Talk, hosted by Ayse Suberker, is TRT World ’s programme that features in-depth analysis of Türkiye’s role in the world.

Whatch the full interview with the Ambassador of Ukraine in the Republic of Türkiye here.