The Black Sea corridor for the export of grain from Ukraine was restored; Russia expects similar conditions for its fertilizers – MercoPress

The Black Sea corridor for the export of grain from Ukraine was restored; Russia expects similar conditions for its fertilizers

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia confirmed the extension of the Black Sea grain deal for 120 days from November 18 without changing the current conditions.

A UN-Turkey-sponsored deal aimed at easing global food shortages by facilitating Ukrainian agricultural exports from southern Black Sea ports was extended by 120 days last Friday, although Moscow complained that its own demands had not been fully met.

The agreement, originally reached in July, created a protected maritime transit corridor and was designed to ease global food shortages by allowing exports to resume from three ports in Ukraine, a major producer of grains and oilseeds.

“I welcome the agreement of all parties to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative to facilitate the safe export of grain, food and fertilizers from Ukraine,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Guterres said the UN is also “fully committed to removing the obstacles that remain in the way of food and fertilizer exports from the Russian Federation” – a part of the deal that Moscow sees as critical.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia confirmed the extension of the Black Sea grain agreement for 120 days from November 18 without changing the current conditions.

Exports of Russian ammonia via pipeline to the Black Sea have not yet been agreed as part of a general renewal, but Russia is committed to continuing efforts to restore these exports. Ammonia is an important component of fertilizers, which are abundant in Russia.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said in September that he would support the idea of ​​resuming Russian ammonia exports through Ukraine only if Moscow returned prisoners of war, an idea the Kremlin quickly rejected.

“The restoration of the Black Sea Grains Initiative is good news for global food security and for developing countries,” Rebecca Greenspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, said on Twitter, calling it a “beacon of hope.”

“The solution to the fertilizer problem should be the following,” she added.

The 120-day extension was less than the year that the UN and Ukraine had sought. Russia has previously stated that the current term of the agreement appears to be “justified”.

Moscow has repeatedly said since July that its grain and fertilizer supplies, while not directly subject to Western sanctions, are limited because the sanctions make it difficult for exporters to process payments or obtain ships and insurance.

Moscow expects that Russia’s concerns related to the easing of conditions for its exports will be fully taken into account in the coming months, the press secretary of its Foreign Ministry said.