ROME, July 25. /TASS/. Italy thinks that it is necessary to seek an agreement on extending the grain deal.

"We think that an agreement must be found because the issue is not so much the conflict itself between Russia and Ukraine but African countries that are being left without grain. We support any initiatives, Turkey’s or any mediating initiative," Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told TASS on the sidelines of the UN Food Systems Summit in Rome.

"We are working on a peaceful resolution [of the Ukrainian conflict] together with the UN," he added, replying to a question as to whether Italy can resume its mediating role given its traditionally good relations with Russia in the past. The top Italian diplomat previously repeatedly asserted that Italy was "not at war with Russia."

The Black Sea grain deal ceased to function on July 17. After agreeing several times since the inception of the grain deal in July 2022 to extend the agreement to provide a shipping corridor across the Black Sea for vessels carrying Ukrainian grain, Moscow reiterated that the Russia-related provisions of the accords on the removal of obstacles to agricultural exports were never implemented. Russia also highlighted the fact that, although the agreements were intended to direct food supplies to the poorest countries, the bulk of Ukrainian grain had gone to wealthy Western countries. The Kremlin said that the Russian side would consider resurrecting the grain initiative as soon as its conditions were met.