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UNCTAD head to visit Russia this week

UNCTAD official representative Catherine Huissoud did not specify the purpose of the visit

GENEVA, May 2. /TASS/. Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan is going to visit Russia this week, UNCTAD official representative Catherine Huissoud announced on Tuesday without specifying the purpose of the visit.

In response to a request for comment on previous claims from an unidentified Ukrainian source regarding an upcoming meeting of all parties on the gain initiative, Huissoud stated that she did not have any information on the subject. She did, however, confirm that Rebeca Grynspan will visit Moscow this week.

Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed Ukrainian source, that the UN-backed Black Sea grain initiative negotiations with the participation of all parties are scheduled for May 3. "Talks are scheduled for tomorrow. All parties... hopefully there will be results," the source told Reuters.

The agreements on food exports from Ukraine were signed on July 22 for a period of 120 days. The agreements were then extended for the same period last November. On March 18, Russia announced a 60-day extension of the deal, warning that this would be enough time to assess the implementation of the memorandum signed with the UN. The Russian Foreign Ministry also pointed out that a further decision on the extension of the deal would depend on reconnecting Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) back to the SWIFT system, resuming supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts and service, lifting restrictions on insurance and reinsurance, lifting the ban on access to ports, resuming operation of the Togliatti-Odessa pipeline, unblocking foreign assets and accounts of Russian companies involved in the production and transportation of food and fertilizers.

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