MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. There is no chance of the grain deal being restored until all Russia’s requirements, which are set out in a UN memorandum, are met in full, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Friday.
"Besides some [previously-made Western] exhortations about the need to renew the deal, nothing has been done in terms of global [food] security," Grushko said speaking in an interview with Russia’s Rossiya-24 TV channel. "The European Union has some work to do in order to provide for deliveries [of Russian products] to the markets of needy EU states."
"This means lifting restrictions imposed on all of our companies that produce the grain, fertilizers and ancillary products," the Russian diplomat noted. "This also means reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, granting insurance to our vessels, ensuring their right to dock at the ports of the EU member-states, as well as ports operated by other countries, and restoring normal logistics and legal framework for grain trade operations."
"To date, nothing has been done. Therefore, as long as there is no real shift towards fulfilling our requirements, which were fixed in the corresponding document of the UN document that contains all obligations on this issue, there is no chance of restoring the deal," Grushko stated.
"The ball is in the court of the United States and the European Union and they should either stop talking about global food security or quietly do what I have just mentioned," the Russian diplomat added.
Grushko also denied allegations that there were risks associated with Russia’s initiative to deliver one million tons of grain to Turkey for needy countries.
"There are no risks whatsoever," he said. "There is good will and you can see it on all sides."
"Consultations are still underway. This is not a replacement to the grain deal in any way, but it’s the realization by us, the Turkish side and some other countries of the urgent importance to assist the poorest countries," Grushko said.
"Being a responsible country and a member of the international community, we [Russia] will continue doing our utmost to help the poor and needy, including in overcoming artificial barriers erected by our unfriendly sides," he added.
On July 17, Russia refused to continue its participation in the grain deal, which was reached a year ago to ensure the safe export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. The deal also provided for creating conditions for exporting crops and fertilizers from Russia. Moscow explained its withdrawal from the deal by the non-implementation of the part of the agreement related to the export of Russian products to the global market.
Apart from that, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly pointed to the fact that most of the grain from Ukraine had been shipped to European countries whereas under the deal, it was to go to the poorest countries. Nevertheless, Moscow said that it was ready to resume its participation in the deal only when all obligations concerning Russia were implemented.