The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the extension of the grain deal

Moscow confirms a two-month extension of the grain deal, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing. transmit “RIA News”.

“We confirm the announcement by the President of Turkey of a two-month extension of the Black Sea Initiative. Thus, there is a chance not in words, but in deeds to help ensure global food security,” she said, stressing that “distortions” in the implementation of the Istanbul agreements of 2022 must be quickly corrected.

Today, May 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed on the extension of the grain deal for another 60 days. He promised that Türkiye would make every effort to fully implement the deal. Erdogan thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and UN Secretary-General António Guterres for their efforts in connection with the extension of the grain deal.

The grain deal was concluded on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Turkey and the UN, on the one hand, and representatives of Russia and Ukraine, on the other. Separate agreements were signed with Moscow and Kiev: the first was for the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk, and the second was for assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers. Moscow has repeatedly noted that the second part of the deal is not being implemented.

The deal was last extended on March 14 for 60 days. The Russian side emphasized that the decision on the further implementation of the agreement would depend on compliance with the terms of the second part.

April 14 Russian Foreign Ministry put forward five conditions for extending the grain deal. The conditions included the connection of Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT settlement system; the resumption of deliveries to Russia of agricultural machinery, spare parts and service, which fell under Western sanctions; abolition of restrictions on insurance and reinsurance of Russian grain ships and removal of the ban on their access to ports; restoration of the operation of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline (the UN promised to open it in December 2022); unblocking foreign assets and accounts of Russian companies associated with the production and transportation of food and fertilizers.