MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. The forecast for extending the grain deal will be pessimistic if the West continues not to fulfill the part of the agreement regarding exports from Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

"If it [the West] continues to endlessly drag its feet on purpose by failing to implement the second part of the deal [for the export of Russian grain and fertilizers], then the forecast is pessimistic," the diplomat said.

Zakharova recalled that the deal had been signed as a set of documents and it was precisely this format that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres proposed.

"It [the format] involves two tracks, both of which must be executed. We are doing our best to guarantee the execution of the two tracks of the deal. In this case, the forecast is optimistic," she said.

On July 22, 2022, a set of documents for the supply of food and fertilizers to the international market was signed in Istanbul. One of these documents approved a mechanism for the export of grain from Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea ports. Another part of the agreements concerns access to world markets for Russian foodstuffs. The Russian authorities have repeatedly pointed out the fact that the second part is not actually being implemented.

In November, the grain deal was extended for another 120 days. It expires on March 18.