MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. The Ukrainian part of the grain deal is working effectively, while Russian agricultural exports continue to be blocked as a result of unilateral Western sanctions, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday, commenting on the potential extension of the grain deal.

"Our position in general on the ‘package’ proposal of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, an integral part of which, in addition to the abovementioned Black Sea initiative, is the Russia-UN memorandum on the normalization of domestic agricultural exports, is known and remains unchanged. We assume that the agreements signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022 should be implemented in conjunction with each other to solve the humanitarian tasks of overcoming the food crisis and helping the needy countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America," the diplomat said, "We note that so far only the Ukrainian part has been effectively implemented, whereas the Russian agricultural export continues to be blocked as a result of Western unilateral sanctions."

According to Zakharova, the next round of consultations of an interdepartmental Russian delegation with Secretary-General of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA) head Martin Griffiths, who oversee the UN-Russia memorandum and the Black Sea Initiative respectively, will take place in Geneva on March 13.

The Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman pointed out that Russia was aware of the statements of various parties, including the Kiev regime, regarding the extension of the Black Sea Initiative, the second term of which was set to expire on March 18. "There have been no negotiations on this matter, especially with the participation of Russian representatives," she pointed out.