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| UN expresses hope for the extension of the food deal with Russia |
| 2023-06-22 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] The UN would like to see the continuation of both parts of the product deal (the Black Sea Initiative) and is discussing this issue with all parties, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the organization's secretary general, said on June 20. “We are trying to ensure that both the memorandum of understanding and the Black Sea Grain Initiative continue to operate. And we are in contact to ensure that these deals continue,” he said during a briefing at the UN. Earlier on June 20, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Vershinin said that Russia proceeds from the fact that on July 18 the grain deal will cease to operate. The promises given to Russia as part of the deal have not begun to be fulfilled, and therefore Moscow is acting taking into account the fact that the deal will not be extended, he explained. The grain deal has lost all relevance for Russia, and therefore Moscow may withdraw from it, economist Mikhail Khazin said in an interview with a Regnum correspondent . The grain deal was important primarily for Turkey, and for Russia it was important that Recep Tayyip Erdogan retain the presidency, the expert noted. The agreements on the export of products from Ukraine by sea were adopted in 2022 as part of the “Black Sea Initiative” and assumed a number of actions in the interests of Russia, including unblocking the ammonia pipeline and connecting Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT system. The promises were not fulfilled, but Russia agreed to renew the agreement, but the Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry noted that if the situation did not change, the deal would be terminated. In June 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with African leaders, noted that Ukraine and the West are deceiving both Russia and other countries of the world on the issue of the “grain deal”. Only 3% of products exported from Ukraine along this corridor actually ended up in the poorest countries, the president recalled. In turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted in June 2023 that there was no point in extending the agreement, which does not work. |
| Posted by:badanov |