The “grains agreement” will be extended, Russia “agrees to remain in the agreement for the time being”. It is reported by Bloomberg with reference to Turkish officials.
The agreement, brokered by Turkey and the UN, will keep the main trade route through the Black Sea open in the face of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow has threatened to pull out of the deal unless barriers to deliveries of its own crops and fertilizers are removed.
Earlier, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Peskov, said that the Russian side wants to respect the grain agreement and is continuing contacts on this subject, but the country believes that the prospects do not inspire optimism.
Recall that in March, Moscow decided to reduce the period of the next extension to 60 days, that is, until May 18.
The “Grains Agreement” was concluded between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN in July 2022. It consists of two parts. The first concerns the creation of safe maritime corridors for the export of Ukrainian grain. Moscow and Kyiv reached an agreement separately: each of the parties signed a document with the UN and Ankara. The duration of the transaction was 120 days, in November the parties extended it for another four months.
On March 14, 2023, the Russian Federation announced a further extension of the agreement, but for 60 days instead of 120.
The second part of the agreement was concluded by Russia and the UN. It provides that the international organization will contribute to the lifting of sanctions on the supply of Russian agricultural products to world markets, including: admission to ports and insurance of ships; deliveries of agricultural equipment and technologies to the Russian Federation; reconnect Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT.
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