UNITED NATIONS, April 24. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at his upcoming meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will stress the need for equitable implementation of both parts of the grain deal, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the media on Monday.
"We have been clear about this deal. It has two parts, and both parts must be implemented to the same extent. This is the gist of the message," Zakharova said.
"There are many details to be discussed. But the basic approach has been expressed many times," she added.
On July 22, 2022 a package of documents on the supply of food and fertilizers to the international market was signed in Istanbul. One of them established a mechanism for the export of grain from the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea ports. Another part of the agreements concerned Russian food products’ access to world markets. The Russian authorities have repeatedly pointed out that the second part of the deal has not been implemented.
Initially, the agreements were signed for 120 days. In November they were extended for the same period. On March 18, Russia announced a 60-day extension of the deal, warning that this period of time would be enough to assess the implementation of the memorandum signed with the UN.