The United Nations Organization (UN) recognized on Tuesday the existence of obstacles to the export of Russian food and fertilizers, specifically in the “payment systems”, a situation that led Moscow to extend the cereal agreement for just 60 days.
In a statement, the UN stressed that its teams, as well as the organization’s secretary general, António Guterres, “spared no effort to facilitate trade in Russian food and fertilizers”, covered by a memorandum of understanding parallel to the cereal agreement, signed in July 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey.
“Significant progress has been made, but it is true that some obstacles remain, in particular with regard to payment systems. Our efforts to overcome these obstacles will continue unabated,” says the note sent by Guterres’ spokesman, Stephane Dujarric. .
The UN stressed that in the context of the Black Sea grain agreement, the initially negotiated renewal was for 120 days, but, the organization stressed, “in the current circumstances, the secretary general and his team are focused, in close contact with all parties, do everything possible to ensure the continuity of the initiative”.
Russia extended this Tuesday for 60 days the agreement that allows the export of grain from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, which was due to expire next Saturday.
“Indeed, the agreement was extended. Its extension was agreed to 60 days,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandr Grushko was quoted as saying by the state news agency TASS.
At the same time, the Russian diplomat stressed that Moscow will insist that the promises it made to Russia when the deal was signed be honored.
“This is about the lifting of all sanctions, direct and indirect, on the supply of Russian agricultural products to international global markets,” Grushko stressed.
Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksander Kubrakov said on Monday that the Russian proposal to extend the grain export deal for just 60 days is at odds with what was signed last July.
“The agreement implies at least 120 days of extension. The Russian position contradicts the document signed by Turkey and the UN,” Kubrakov said on Twitter.
The Ukrainian minister then stressed that Ukraine will wait for the United Nations and Turkey, partners in the agreement, to take a position on the Russian proposal.
Ukraine, the UN and Turkey agreed with Moscow on November 17 last year to extend the agreement “Initiative for the safe transport of agricultural products through the Black Sea” for a period of 120 days.
This agreement has helped alleviate the world food crisis caused by the war unleashed since February 2022 by the Russian military offensive.
Under this agreement, 20 million tons of cereals were exported.
Source: TSF
