Deal allowing Ukraine to export grain via Black Sea ports extended
THE deal allowing kraine to export grain safely from its Black Sea ports despite Russia’s invasion has been extended for another three months, the nited Nations said on Thursday. It had been set to expire at the weekend.
The Black Sea rain Initiative is extended for 120 days,
krainian Infrastructure Minister Olexandr ubrakov tweeted.
The Russian side allowed the extension of the agreement without any change in the deadlines or scope, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Thursday.
The N said there were no changes to the initiative, nor did it apply to additional ports.
kraine had requested that the grain agreement be extended to the port of Mykolaiv.
N Secretary eneral Ant nio uterres welcomed the extension of the deal and expressed commitment to ensuring the smooth operation of the vital supply line. He also emphasi ed the need to remove remaining obstacles to exporting food and fertili er from Russia.
Both agreements signed in Istanbul three months ago are essential to bring down the prices of food and fertili er and avoid a global food crisis, uterres said.
Russia’s war against kraine, which has disrupted food shipments because both countries are major agricultural exporters, have fuelled international fears of famine in the poorest countries.
According to Russia, however, the second agreement which focuses on Russia’s ability to export its goods - is stalled due to Western sanctions.
Although the sanctions do not directly target these exports, their existence makes it difficult for Russian players to call at European ports, process payments and obtain insurance for their ships.
N representatives had discussed the problems on Friday in eneva with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey ershinin.
After the agreement to extend the deal was reported, the Russian foreign ministry warned that further delays in Russian fertiliser deliveries to developing countries would be unacceptable. Some 300,000 tonnes of Russian fertiliser were being held back in E ports, it said. remlin spokesman Dmitry eskov commented that the N’s assurances to guarantee Russian food and fertiliser exports were already showing results. The Russian foreign ministry also said it would prevent any attempts to use the Black Sea corridor for provocative military purposes. Top European nion officials on Thursday greeted the extension of a N-Turkey brokered deal.
According to the rain Agreement Coordination Centre,
eight ships left krainian ports on Tuesday with wheat, corn, soybeans and rapeseed, among other commodities. They set course for Italy, China, Ethiopia and Spain, among other countries.
Before the war, Russia and kraine supplied almost a quarter of the world’s grain exports.
Meanwhile, missile strikes have been reported across
kraine by local officials, with the entire country on air raid alert for the second time this week amid a new salvo of Russian attacks.
In the liberated area of herson, krainian police have found evidence of alleged crimes, including torture, repeating a pattern from other areas of the country liberated from Russian control this year.
In addition, resident olodymyr elensky on Thursday said krainian experts can take part in the investigation of Tuesday’s missile strike at the
olish border with kraine.