On Thursday, November 17, the United Nations, Ukraine and Turkey announced the extension of the Ukrainian grain export agreement for another 120 days. Russia also said it would not stop the agreement.
The news comes two days before a deal between Ukraine and Russia reached in July under the auspices of Turkey and the United Nations expires.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warmly welcomed the agreement by all parties involved to extend the agreement. He also said the international organization was committed to supporting the Joint Coordination Center for Grain Exports in Istanbul so that this vital supply line can continue to operate smoothly.
Guterres also said the United Nations would work to remove remaining obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also confirmed the extension of the agreement by four months. He said the agreement reflected the importance of global food security. AFP quoted a senior Turkish official as saying the extension would be in line with existing regulations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the food deal would be extended by 120 days.
In a tweet on Twitter, Zelensky said, as he said, Ukraine, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are fighting the food crisis globally Major decisions were made in the struggle.
On the other hand, TASS quoted the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister as saying that Russia will not block the agreement to export food through the Black Sea.
On Wednesday 16th, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov spoke of positive developments in the food deal. He said Moscow hoped the talks would also end with the lifting of restrictions on exports of Russian products.
In late October, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking its fleet in Crimea through a passage used by grain ships. It has since suspended its participation in the agreement.
However, Moscow quickly resumed implementation of the agreement, announcing that it had received written assurances from Kyiv that it would not carry out similar attacks through the corridor.
Since July, the agreement has allowed the export of about 11 million tons of Ukrainian grain from three ports on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine.