Russia has agreed to an extension of Ukraine’s grain export agreement through the Black Sea for only 60 days and not 120 as Kiev has claimed, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry clarified on Saturday.
“There are statements from different parties that the grain export agreement has been extended for 120 days,” said Maria Zakharova, denying the veracity of the information.
The same official, quoted by the Russian agency Interfax and replicated by AFP, stressed: “We have repeatedly said that (…) the Russian side has informed all interested parties that the agreement has been extended for 60 days.”
Earlier, government officials in kyiv claimed that the agreement between Russia and Ukraine to extend the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grains was valid for 120 days.
“The agreement has been extended for another 120 days,” Ukrainian Minister of Community Development, Land and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said on his Facebook account. Kubrakov thanked UN Secretary General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as all allied countries that participated in the mediation.
“This means that Ukraine continues to export its agricultural products through three ports,” added the Ukrainian minister, who revealed that since August 1, 25 million tons of cereals have been shipped “to meet the needs of the world.”
On Wednesday, Turkey announced that it was negotiating with Ukraine and Russia for a further 120-day extension of the grain deal, instead of the 60 days announced by Moscow.
The agreement, approved in July 2022 under the mediation of the UN and Turkey, was last extended last November and expired today.
Also today, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the extension of the international agreement on the export of Ukrainian cereals, but without specifying the duration of the pact.
“The continuation and stability of the agreement is of vital importance,” Erdogan stressed.
The agreement has facilitated the export of 25 million tons of cereals in more than 1,600 merchant ship voyages since last July. Fifty-five percent of this food went to developing countries.
Source: TSF
