ANKARA, March 1. /TASS/. The UN is in constant contact with the participants of the Black Sea grain deal and counts on its extension after March 18, Ismini Palla, Chief, Media and Communications Unit, Office of the UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, told a TASS correspondent on Wednesday.
"The benefits of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for global food security are indisputable The UN is working with all parties for the full implementation and continuation of the Initiative beyond March," she said, stressing that the second extension of the grain deal expired on March 18.
Palla noted that the negotiation procedure stipulated that all possible and proposed changes to the terms of the initiative must be accepted by all participants. Therefore, the UN was trying to ensure a productive dialogue between the parties.
"Unimpeded exports of grain and fertilizers from Ukraine and Russian Federation are critical. We need to continue building on the gains and progress made so far," she said.
However, the official pointed out that she could not speculate about the outcome of the Black Sea grain deal. According to the UN, the deal has many benefits, and the organization plans to continue brokering the extension of the deal.
Black Sea grain deal
The agreements on the export of food from Ukraine were concluded on July 22 for a period of 120 days. One of the agreements regulating grain exports from the Kiev-controlled ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The other deal inked between Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN provides for the establishment of a four-party coordination center whose representatives inspect grain ships in order to prevent arms smuggling and false flag operations. Additionally, Russia and the UN signed a memorandum, under which the organization was supposed to engage in efforts to lift anti-Russian restrictions preventing the export of agricultural products and fertilizers. The deal was extended for another 120 days on November 17.
Russian authorities have repeatedly pointed to the non-compliance with some parts of the deal, including the agreement that the grain should go mainly to the poorest countries. They also pointed out that there were obstacles for supplies of Russian fertilizers and foodstuffs to the global market. On February 13, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told RTVI that the concept of the Istanbul deal and the extension of the grain deal in March, which did not reap tangible results, seemed unreasonable for the Russian side.