BUDAPEST, July 19. /TASS/. Hungarian President Katalin Novak on Wednesday expressed concern about Russia's withdrawal from the grain deal and called on the parties to this agreement to find ways to deliver agricultural products to the world's poorest countries.

"The suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative by the unilateral decision of Russia raises high concerns. Again, the war [in Ukraine] not only claims human lives and brings devastation at the front, but has an impact all over the world, in this case affecting the most vulnerable and jeopardizing the security of food supply," she wrote on Twitter during her trip to African countries.

Novak noted that at that continent "negative consequences of the decision are felt most." The Hungarian President believes that the parties "should find a solution for security of food supply by diplomatic means." Besides that, combat activities in Ukraine "must be brought to an end as soon as possible," she wrote.

A package of documents geared to resolve the problem of food and fertilizer supplies on global markets was signed on July 22, 2022 in Istanbul and extended several times since then before ultimately expiring on July 17. Russia refused to extend it again because the part of the deal envisaging the removal of obstacles for Russian agricultural exports has never been implemented. Apart from that, Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the bulk of grain that was meant to be supplied to the poorest counties was shipped to Western countries. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is ready to resurrect the deal but only after its part related to obligations to Moscow is fulfilled.