UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed the Ukraine grain deal as a "beacon on the Black Sea" at the signing ceremony attended by representatives from Türkiye, Russia, and Ukraine in Istanbul on July 22.

"There is a beacon on the Black Sea. A beacon of hope – a beacon of possibility – a beacon of relief - in a world that needs it more than ever," said the UN chief. 

Ukraine and Russia on July 22 signed separate "mirror" deals on grain export with Türkiye and the UN to free up grain exports from Ukraine's besieged Black Sea ports. 

The agreement, in two copies, was signed by Türkiye's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, respectively.