MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed the need for the across-the-board implementation of the Istanbul agreements, including for the export of Russian foodstuffs and fertilizers, the Kremlin press service said on Thursday in reporting the results of the telephone conversation between the two leaders.
"In the context of ensuring global food security, Vladimir Putin outlined Russia’s approaches to the set of agreements signed in Istanbul for the export of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports as well as the export of food and fertilizers from Russia to world markets, emphasizing the need for their full-scale, across-the-board implementation," the Kremlin statement said.
On July 22, 2022, a set of documents for the supply of food and fertilizers to the international market was signed in Istanbul. One of these documents approved a mechanism for the export of grain from Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea ports. Another part of the agreements concerns access to world markets for Russian foodstuffs. The Russian authorities have repeatedly pointed out the fact that the second part is not actually being implemented.
In November, the grain deal was extended for another 120 days. It expires on March 18.
The forecast for extending the grain deal will be pessimistic if the West continues not to fulfill the part of the agreement regarding exports from Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.