ISLAMABAD, March 17. /TASS/. Any criticism of Russia in the context of extending the grain deal for 60 days only is counterproductive and may mar prospects for a potential peace process, a Pakistani expert told TASS on Friday.
"The grain corridor is vital for developing countries that were hit hard by reduced [grain] supplies amid the pandemic of the coronavirus and a shortage of food due to the conflict in Ukraine," said Hamzah Rifaat Hussain, an associate research fellow at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute. "Pakistan views the extension of the grain corridor as an important step toward rebuilding trust between Moscow and Kiev. However, all the parties to the agreement should support it in spirit and letter. Criticizing Russia for the extension [of the deal] for 60 days is a humiliating and counterproductive approach in the context of a potential peace process," he added.
On the contrary, any country who has reservations about the extension of the grain initiative should help the conflicting parties overcome their differences, rather than stick to a position that would aggravate the deficit of trust, Hussain said.
According to the expert, Islamabad’s position on the issue is similar to its stance on the conflict in Ukraine in general. The Islamic republic "eschews the Cold War mentality while calling for a de-escalation, remains neutral and favors dialogue and efforts to meet the humanitarian needs," he concluded.
Criticism of Russia
On Monday, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Alexander Kubrakov alleged that Russia’s support for extending the deal for 60 days rather than 120 days ran counter to the previously signed agreement. He said the Black Sea grain initiative envisaged at least a 120-day extension and said that his country relied on the official position of the UN and Turkey as guarantor countries.
On grain deal
The deal on establishing a humanitarian corridor for the export of Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea was concluded between Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, and separately between Ukraine, the UN and Turkey in Istanbul on July 22 for a period of 120 days. Under the grain deal, Russia and the UN signed a three-year memorandum that envisaged the lifting of restrictions on Russian fertilizer and agricultural product supplies to global markets. The UN pledged cooperation with member countries and private businesses on waivers to remove any obstacles to Russian exports. Russia has said this part of the agreement was never implemented.
The current grain deal expires on Saturday. Following consultations that were held in Geneva between the United Nations and a Russian delegation on Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said that Moscow was not opposed to extending the deal after it expires on March 18, though not for 120 days, as in November 2022, but for a shortened period of just 60 days. This, he said, would be enough time to carry out an objective analysis of whether the UN has delivered on its promises to have Russian food and fertilizer exports to the global market unblocked.