UN, July 17. /TASS/. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres deeply regrets Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Initiative, including the participation in ensuring security guarantees for navigation in the Black Sea.

"I deeply regret the decision by the Russian Federation to terminate the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative - including the withdrawal of Russian security guarantees for navigation in the northwestern part of the Black Sea," he said on Monday when commenting on Moscow’s decision to terminate the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative.

The Initiative has ensured the safe passage of over 32 mln metric tons of food commodities from Ukrainian ports, according to UN Secretary-General. "The World Food Program has shipped more than 725,000 tons to support humanitarian operations - relieving hunger in some of the hardest hit corners of the world, including Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and Yemen. The Black Sea Initiative - together with the Memorandum of Understanding on facilitating exports of Russian food products and fertilizers - have been a lifeline for global food security and a beacon of hope in a troubled world," he pointed out.

Those agreements have helped to reduce food prices by over 23% since last March, Guterres added.

Earlier on Monday Russia announced its objection to extending the grain deal. The Russian part of the agreements was never fulfilled, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.