UN chief António Guterres will meet tomorrow Wednesday in Kyiv with the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelenskyduring his third trip to Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion, his spokesman said today.

Guterres arrived today Polandfrom where he will continue on his way to the Ukrainian capital to meet with Zelensky tomorrow to discuss, in particular, the continuation of the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain, Stephane Dujarric said in a press release.

The Black Sea Grain initiative has been implemented mediated by the UN and Turkey Last July, he allowed the export of grain from three Ukrainian ports. The agreement allowed for the export of about 20 million tons of grain, and after being extended in mid-November for four winter months, it expires on March 18.

To persuade Russia to allow Ukraine to resume grain exports to the Black Sea last July, a three-year agreement was also reached in which the United Nations agreed to help facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports.

Ukraine and Russia are among the world’s largest suppliers of grain and fertilizers.

Guterres is traveling with UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths and senior UN trade representative Rebecca Greenspan. Griffiths led negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and Greenspan is working to promote Russian food and fertilizer exports.

Guterres is due to leave Kyiv on Wednesday and return to New York on Thursday afternoon. No other details about this visit, the third after two trips in April and August, to the war-torn country since its February 24, 2022 invasion, have been released.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Sunday that Ankara is “working hard to ensure the smooth implementation and further extension of the Black Sea Grain Agreement.”

Source: APE-MPE-Reuters-AFP.