MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Russia needs progress on "major systemic problem areas" related to exports of agriculture products and fertilizers for extension of the grain deal, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said in an interview aired by the Rossiya-24 TV news channel on Friday.

"Let’s extend it (grain deal - TASS) for another 60 days. But along with this we need notable progress on major systemic problem areas, which represent a barrier on the way of access to the global market for our agriculture products and fertilizers," he said.

Connecting Russian Agricultural Bank (RusAg) back to SWIFT, resumption of supplies of components and service maintenance of agriculture equipment, reinsurance of agriculture cargoes and lifting of the ban on their access to ports, removing sanctions on Russian companies and their owners involved in the production of food and fertilizers remain the main conditions for extension of the deal, Vershinin added.

Earlier, Vershinin told reporters after consultations with UN representatives on March 13, that Moscow was not against extending the deal after March 18, but for 60 days only, adding that such a period would be sufficient for estimating the UN’s assurances on unblocking exports of Russian agriculture products and fertilizers to the global market.