Russia sees no prospects for extending the grain deal, but consultations with UN representatives on existing agreements continue, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin told reporters on Monday.
"We do not see them, but we continue, of course, consultations with UN representatives on both parts of those packages of agreements, which, as you know, were signed last July," he said when asked by TASS about the prospects for extending the grain deal.
Vershinin stressed that Ukraine has been putting forward various requirements for the implementation of the grain deal and thus has already brought the situation to a standstill.
"We have said several times that ammonia is included in the agreements that were signed in Istanbul. And it implies that it should be exported and sold as a mutually beneficial commercial transaction," explained the deputy minister. - "Unfortunately setting conditions, as Kiev does, is very bad and brings the situation to a standstill".
Vershinin also reminded that the Russian side proceeds from the fact that "the concluded and existing agreements must be implemented in full." "That means without distortions in one direction or the other," he stressed.
Furthermore, the senior diplomat said that the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul resumed vessel inspections under the grain deal.
"As far as we know, the JCC in Istanbul is working to overcome any problems that arise based on the procedural rules that were unanimously approved last year," he said. - "There is supposed to be a consensus solution to emerging problems. Now those inspections are being resumed."
About grain deal
On July 22, 2022, a package of documents on the supply of food and fertilizer to the international market was signed in Istanbul. The agreements were originally concluded for 120 days, in November last year they were extended for the same period. On March 18, 2023, Russia announced a 60-day extension of the deal, warning that this would be enough time to evaluate the implementation of the memorandum signed with the UN.
Following the May 10–11 negotiations of the Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian and UN delegations in Istanbul, Vershinin said that the grain deal would be terminated if Moscow did not receive guarantees by May 18 that its requirements regarding the export of agricultural products and fertilizers, reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT system and a number of other issues would be met.
As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on May 17, the grain deal was extended for two months starting May 18. At that, the Turkish leader thanked the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the UN for a constructive approach.
Earlier, the Russian foreign ministry stressed that the part of the agreement, regarding obligations to Moscow, is not being fulfilled. Russia, in particular, insisted on renewing access of its vessels to foreign ports, normalizing the situation with dry cargo insurance, reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT interbank payment system and launching the Tolyatti - Odessa ammonia pipeline.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS