PRETORIA, August 2. /TASS/. The Republic of South Africa is engaged in consultations with Russia, other nations and the United Nations in an attempt to have the Black Sea grain transportation deal resumed, the country’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said.
"We are also working hard to persuade the Russian side to address the Black Sea grain deal and interacting with all the relevant parties to see whether we could find a solution to ensure an opening of the Black Sea initiative," Pandor said in Pretoria on Tuesday during talks with her Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi.
The grain deal ended on July 17. Last week, speaking at the plenary session of the Russia-Africa forum, Putin said that Russia had originally agreed to participate in the deal on the condition that its terms to remove illegitimate obstacles to the supply of grain and fertilizers from Russia to world markets would be observed. But none of these conditions was met. In turn, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin noted that the grain deal could be resumed "in a new form," but this requires concrete action on the part of the West.
During his speech at the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Forum, Putin announced free grain supplies for Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea. The Russian leader also said that Moscow would provide free delivery of grain products to consumers. The deliveries are expected to begin within the next three or four months.