UNITED NATIONS, August 3. /TASS/. Russia will be ready to return to the grain deal if problems with the export of its products and fertilizers are resolved, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky reiterated on Thursday.
"Western countries need to focus on ensuring that Russian grain and fertilizers get to countries in need without hindrance. However, this is not included in the plans of our Western colleagues," he said in a speech at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
"If all the problems that we have publicly identified, including in this hall and that have arisen with the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum are eliminated, we will be ready to return to participation in the Black Sea Initiative," he said.
Polyansky noted that "Russia's share on the world wheat market is 20%, the share of Ukraine is less than 5%."
"This means that it is Russia that makes a significant contribution to global food security and is a solid, responsible international supplier of agricultural products. Not to mention the exceptional role of Russian fertilizers for global food security," he stressed.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier that Washington would do everything necessary to ensure food exports from Russia, if Russia returns to the grain deal.
The grain deal ended on July 17. Last week, speaking at the plenary session of the Russia-Africa forum, Putin said that Russia had originally agreed to participate in the deal on the condition that its terms to remove illegitimate obstacles to the supply of grain and fertilizers from Russia to world markets would be observed. But none of these conditions was met.
In turn, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin noted that the grain deal could be resumed "in a new form," but this requires concrete action on the part of the West.