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Russia-UN memorandum on agricultural exports 'remains as is' — senior diplomat

Sergey Vershinin stressed that the most recent letter from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres "notes that this memorandum is part of a package, that is, it can also be terminated"

MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/. A memorandum on agricultural exports between Russia and the UN is valid for three years and "remains as is," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said at a briefing on Friday.

"It [the Russia-UN memorandum] was signed for three years. <...> It is valid for three years," the senior Russian diplomat said. "We have not received any notice from the UN that they want to terminate this memorandum and we have not sent such a notice either. Therefore, this memorandum is still in effect," he explained.

The high-ranking diplomat stressed that the most recent letter from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres "notes that this memorandum is part of a package, that is, it can also be terminated." "Yet the UN has not taken any formal steps, so it remains as is," Vershinin added.

On July 22, 2022, two documents were signed in Istanbul - an agreement on the Black Sea Grain Initiative and a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN. The first one was concluded for 120 days with a possibility of extension and provided for a safe corridor for maritime traffic from Ukrainian ports to Istanbul. It also provided for the opportunity to export Russian ammonia fertilizers via Ukrainian ports.

The memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN provided for efforts by the UN to ensure the export of Russian food products and fertilizers without it being tied to a particular route. This work was supposed to relax and lift sanctions hindering agricultural exports from Russia. The memorandum was supposed to be in effect for three years. The UN insists that food and fertilizer exports from Russia were being restored thanks to the organization’s efforts. Russian diplomats at the UN repeatedly pointed out that the organization’s work had failed to ensure the export of food products and fertilizers from Russia.

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