UN, July 17. /TASS/. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that in his letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin he said about a concrete proposal to enable a subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank to regain access to SWIFT.

"My letter also mentioned that: ‘the Russian Federation has highlighted the issue of access to SWIFT by the Russian Agricultural Bank as a key factor influencing its decisions. On this front, the United Nations recently brokered a concrete proposal to enable a subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank to regain access to SWIFT with the European Commission," he said on Monday when commenting on Moscow’s decision to terminate the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative.

According to the letter, "the key element underpinning this proposal’s political viability is that it can be implemented within existing regulations," with this seen "as a unique political opening, stemming from a genuine desire to protect global food security beyond 17 July," Guterres said.

"I am deeply disappointed that my proposals went unheeded," UN Secretary-General noted, adding that the termination of the deal "will strike a blow to people in need everywhere."