Grain Deal Over if Agreement Not Reached by May 18: Russian Foreign Ministry
16:38 11.05.2023 (Updated: 10:48 03.08.2023)
© AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky
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The Black Sea Grain Initiative will cease to exist if there is no agreement on its extension by May 18, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said on Thursday.
"This means that it will cease to exist," Vershinin said in response to Sputnik’s question on what will happen if there is no deal by May 18.
The diplomat said that the sides have made different proposals regarding the terms of the extension of the grain deal.
"We proceed from the fact that there was a decision to extend for 60 days, 60 days expire on May 18. Work, contacts continue, however, all other deadlines and wishes of the parties can only be considered, but we are not going to act in defiance or contrary to our interests," Vershinin said.
Vershinin also said that Russian state departments are evaluating proposals made by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres regarding the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
"These proposals provide for interrelated steps in terms of resuming ammonia supplies through the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, as well as, possibly, some other ideas. I want to say that these ideas proposed by the secretary general are being worked out by us, in the interdepartmental study, we take this seriously," the diplomat told Russian reporters after the meeting on the grain deal hosted by Istanbul, adding that Moscow is against the deal's "expansion or endless extension."
Claims made by Western nations about the absence of sanctions on exports of Russian agriculture products are not true, he noted.
"I must say that the statements that are heard from Washington, Brussels, London, that supposedly Russian agricultural exports are not subject to sanctions, have not been confirmed. We continue to face significant barriers to agricultural and fertilizer exports in terms of transactions, logistics, transport issues, tariffs, insurance and reinsurance," the diplomat told Russian reporters after the meeting on the grain deal hosted by Istanbul.
Vershinin also said that Russian can not cope with "double standards" when only exports of Ukrainian agriculture products are allowed.
There was no progress made on the issue of reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT payment system, he noted.
"We have publicly talked about what systemic problems that need to be solved, and the first problem is the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT. I must say that no progress is made on this issue. Moreover, we know the skeptical assessments of the UN that this can be done at all. Nevertheless, it is clear that nothing will work without reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT, it is impossible to do such operations manually," Vershinin told Russian journalists.
The possible assistance of the Turkish bank in this matter was not discussed, the diplomat added.
"In any case, we would only welcome any assistance in the normal operation of our bank without sanctions," Vershinin said.
A high-level meeting on the grain deal in a quadripartite format was held in Istanbul from May 10-11.
"A new meeting is not scheduled, but we remain in close contact with Turkish representatives and with UN representatives," Vershinin told Russian journalists.
The grain deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkiye between Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to facilitate exports of agricultural products from Black Sea ports during the conflict. The package agreement also includes a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN to unblock Russian grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea, which, according to Moscow, has not been implemented due to Western sanctions. The deal has since been extended twice, most recently in March, and is due to expire on May 18.
The Russian side has repeatedly stated that its conditions under the grain deal are not being fulfilled, and therefore the extension of the deal is the object of a difficult negotiation process between the parties.
The Russian side has repeatedly stated that its conditions under the grain deal are not being fulfilled, and therefore the extension of the deal is the object of a difficult negotiation process between the parties.
