Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said proposals from the United Nations and Turkey related to shipping issues in the Black Sea have so far led to nothing.
“There were such conversations. We heard about them. The UN Secretary General mentioned this. We explained on what conditions we are ready to consider these proposals — on the terms of reciprocity, of course. Because the memorandum of understanding between the Russian Federation and the UN Secretariat, which should be valid for another 18 months, is not being implemented in any of its parts,” Lavrov said in an interview with the Izvestia daily.
He said the memorandum guarantees that the Secretary General will seek from the West the lifting of sanctions on Russian exports of fertilizers and grain.
“Our position is well known. There were messages and public statements from both the Turkish leadership and the UN. Without going into details, I will say that they did not lead to anything,” the minister said.
United Nations Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Sputnik that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in February sent letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
Earlier, Erdogan spoke about the idea of new regulations for the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, jointly with Turkey and the UN. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said issues of developing the new regulations are being considered, but it cannot be said yet that it will be possible to agree on them.
The Turkey- and UN-mediated Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed in July 2022, which provided for a humanitarian corridor to allow safe sea exports of Ukrainian and Russian agricultural products and fertilizers, expired July 18, 2023, after Russia refused to extend its participation, citing persistent violation of the package deal's component to facilitate Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
The grain deal was an integral part of a package agreement. The second part — the Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years — envisioned the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers, the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to SWIFT, the resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services, the restoration of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and a number of other measures. Moscow repeatedly said this part of the package agreement was not being implemented.
Last August, the Ukrainian navy announced the opening of temporary corridors for merchant ships sailing towards or from the ports of Chernomorsk, Odessa and Yuzhny. Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk admitted that it is currently impossible to guarantee the complete safety of ships passing through temporary corridors in the Black Sea.
Aside from that, the minister was asked about the relationship between Russia and the West. He pointed out that there are now almost no areas where they would have some kind of cooperation and real contacts.
“There are hardly any,” Lavrov said.
Contacts between security services are usually not made public, he added.
Lavrov said the current relations between Russia and the West are aimed at maintaining the operation of embassies.
“Now all diplomacy with the West is as follows: we still have embassies there, they have embassies in Russia, these embassies and consulates general need to function. Issues of financing the activities of diplomatic missions, purchasing items necessary for their activities, cars, equipment are being discussed. These issues now constitute the main content of our contacts, in particular with the Americans,” he said.
Furthermore, Lavrov noted that the West has no desire to resume dialogue with Moscow because its goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
“If we take our relations with the West, then no. On that side, there is no desire at all to resume equal cooperation. The goal is to punish us, to inflict a 'strategic defeat' on Russia,” he said.
The Russian foreign minister said Moscow is ready to continue the dialogue with Washington on the exchange of prisoners as part of agreements between the two countries' presidents, but the United States is using "unscrupulous methods."
Lastly, Russian top diplomat said that he will hold a meeting with the ambassadors of the countries of the Global Majority in April and will voice Moscow's position on the current situation in Ukraine.
“I have already met twice with the ambassadors of the Global Majority in Moscow. Another regular meeting will be held in early April. We voice our assessment of how the situation around Ukraine is developing,” Lavrov told the newspaper.