Ukraine said its Danube ports are essential for its exports of agricultural products and that it is "relaunching" the Bystroye canal as an alternative route for its grain, Reuters reported, according to Hotnews.ro.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that the dredging works on the canal are of an "operational" type and that Ukraine is "relaunching the canal as an alternative route for Ukrainian agricultural exports".

The outcome of the measurements carried out by Ukraine and Romania on the canal to establish the post-dredging dept was not published yet. Romania insisted that the works should be only of a "maintenance" nature as artificially increasing the depth of the canal could harm the environment in the entire Danube Delta.

Three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were initially blocked after the start of the invasion, have been exporting grain since last July as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, mediated by Turkey and the United Nations. Russia says the agreement is due to expire on May 18 and shows no sign that it plans to extend it.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Butenkow | Dreamstime.com)