Ukraine grain export deal extended for 120 days
Thanks to the joint efforts of the United Nations and Turkey, the grain initiative was extended for another 120 days.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine for Reconstruction, wrote about this on Twitter.
The head of the department thanked UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of Turkey Erdoğan, Minister Hulusi Akar and all partners for keeping the agreements in extending the agreement for another 4 months.
#BlackSeaGrainInitiative agreement is extended for 120 days. Grateful to @antonioguterres @UN, President Erdoğan, Minister Hulusi Akar & all our partners for sticking to the agreements. Due our joint efforts, 25M tons of🇺🇦 grain delivered to world markets pic.twitter.com/4bye93iQ7d
— Oleksandr Kubrakov (@OlKubrakov) March 18, 2023
Kubrakov added that joint efforts helped 25 million tons of Ukrainian grain to be delivered to world markets.
The day before, the russian side stated that it "does not object" to the continuation of the grain initiative, which allows the export of Ukrainian food by the sea, but only for 60 days.
Ukraine insisted that russia's stated possibility of extending the grain initiative for 60 days instead of 120 days contradicts the documents signed together with the UN and Turkey.
The contract for the export of Ukrainian grain through the russian-controlled Black Sea expires on March 18.
Earlier, the mass media reported that Ukraine has started online negotiations with partners regarding the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, aimed at ensuring that Kyiv can continue supplying grain to world markets.
The initiative was launched with the mediation of the United Nations and Turkey last July and was extended in November.
russia has stated that it will agree to the extension of the Black Sea Grain Agreement only if the interests of its own agricultural producers are taken into account.