An agreement to transport Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea has been extended for another two months, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, a day before Russia pulled out, citing obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports, Reuters reported. The information was confirmed in Russia.
Erdogan’s comments, made in a speech to officials of his AK Party, came after the last ship under the deal, which allows safe exports of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea and was due to expire on Thursday, left a Ukrainian port.
“Thanks to Turkey’s efforts, the agreement on the Black Sea Grain Corridor has been extended for two months,” he said in his televised address, also thanking the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and UN Secretary-General António Guterres for their help.
The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Agreement for the first 120 days last July to help deal with a global food crisis exacerbated by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the country’s biggest grain exporters.
Moscow agreed to extend the agreement for another 120 days in November, but then in March agreed to a 60-day extension – until May 18, if a list of demands on its own agricultural exports were not met.
To convince Russia in July to allow grain exports to the Black Sea, the United Nations also agreed to help Moscow with its own shipments of agricultural products for three years.
Russia has repeatedly threatened not to extend the deal beyond May 18 unless certain demands are met, including removing barriers to its own grain and fertilizer exports.
Russia hopes to resolve the issue of fertilizer exports
Russia confirmed Erdogan’s statement on the deal on Wednesday.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the agreement was extended to help countries that need it, but added that Russia’s overall assessment of the situation regarding the agreement “has not changed.”
Russia agreed on Wednesday to extend an agreement allowing safe exports of Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea as it still hopes obstacles to its own grain and fertilizer exports can be overcome, Russia’s UN ambassador Vasyl Nebenzia said.
“We still do not lose hope that the issues we raise will be resolved,” Nebenzya told reporters. “The sooner the better.”
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Source: Hot News
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