Russia has no objections to extending the “grain deal”, but only for 60 days, the further position will be determined depending on the real progress in the normalization of Russian agricultural exports, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said, Interfax writes.
“The Russian side, noting the “package” nature of the Istanbul agreements proposed by UN Secretary General António Guterres, does not object to the next extension of the “Black Sea Initiative” after the expiration of the second term on March 18, but only for 60 days,” Vershinin said in a commentary circulated following the consultations. Russian interdepartmental delegation with UN representatives in Geneva.
“Our further position will be determined depending on the real, not in words, but in deeds, progress in the normalization of our agricultural exports, including bank payments, transport logistics, insurance, “unfreezing” of financial activities and the supply of ammonia through the Togliatti-Odessa pipeline” – said the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.
According to him, the conversation that took place confirmed that “if the commercial export of Ukrainian products is carried out at a steady pace, bringing considerable profit to Kiev, then barriers still remain in the way of Russian agricultural exporters.”
“The sanction withdrawals for food and fertilizer announced by Washington, Brussels and London do not actually work,” the deputy minister said.
The next round of consultations of the Russian interdepartmental delegation with the UN representatives headed by Secretary General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Greenspan and UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths took place in Geneva on Monday.
The Grain Deal was concluded in Istanbul on July 22, 2022. With the participation of the UN, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, two documents were signed – on the creation of a corridor for the export of grain from three Ukrainian ports (Chernomorsk, Odessa and Yuzhny), as well as on the removal of barriers to the export of Russian food and fertilizers.
The deal expires March 18.
