MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. Russia is making required efforts for all the ships participating in the grain deal to complete their mission and leave the Black Sea by July 17, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
"The Russian side continues treating its obligations in good faith and responsibly as the party to the agreement, and makes required efforts in strict compliance with rules of the procedure, so that all ships participating in it to be able to successfully accomplish their mission and leave the Black Sea prior to expiry of its term. The Russia - UN memorandum is known to be designed for three years and does not require special decisions on the renewal," the ministry said.
The ministry also noted the next outburst of the propaganda activity of Western countries, Ukraine and the UN Secretariat in view of the forthcoming expiry of the deal. "No illusions and doubts remain with any one in a year after Istanbul agreements signing either in respect of the humanitarian focus of the Black Sea Initiative or prospects of implementing the Russia-UN memorandum on normalization of national food and fertilizer exports. Nevertheless, arguments are still in use, with their essence being that the world would starve without the Ukrainian feed corn and that illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the Westerners against Russia do not apply to food and fertilizers," the ministry added.