Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin stated that Russia does not deny efforts to implement the Black Sea Grains Initiative, but stressed that Moscow needs concrete results.
Moscow acknowledges the UN's efforts to implement the memorandum of understanding with the Russian Federation on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to the world market and is ready to continue dialogue, but these negotiations must yield results.
This is a statement made on June 10th by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin, head of the Russian delegation attending consultations with representatives of the United Nations in Geneva (Switzerland) on the Black Sea Grains Initiative.
According to TASS news agency, during consultations held on June 9, United Nations officials discussed efforts to implement the Black Sea Grains Initiative.
Deputy Minister Vershinin stated that Russia does not deny these efforts but stressed that Moscow needs concrete results. He reiterated the remaining obstacles to financial, insurance, and reinsurance transactions, as well as the release of capital from Russian companies.
Regarding these issues, Deputy Minister Vershinin asserted that "there has been no progress in this direction."
In particular, the Russian delegation raised the unresolved issue concerning the connection of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) with the global SWIFT payment system.
The timing of further consultations between Russia and the United Nations on the implementation of the memorandum has not yet been determined. Deputy Minister Vershinin stated that the two sides regularly hold consultations, Moscow is ready to continue the dialogue and hopes to receive satisfactory results.
Ahead of the consultations in Geneva, Deputy Minister Vershinin said Moscow saw no prospect of extending the Black Sea Grains Initiative, but would continue to consult with UN representatives on the agreement.
He stated that Russia had repeatedly requested that the issue of Russian ammonia exports through Ukrainian territory be included in the agreement, considering it a mutually beneficial trade transaction, but Ukraine had put forward different demands for the agreement, leading to a deadlock.
In July 2022, the United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grains Initiative to help address the worsening global food crisis caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine – the world's leading grain exporter.
Within the framework of the initiative, Russia and the United Nations signed a memorandum of understanding on facilitating the supply of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to the world market, while Ukraine signed an agreement with Türkiye and the United Nations on the export of safe food and fertilizers from Ukraine via the Black Sea.
The original agreement was valid for 120 days, and was extended for another 120 days in November 2022.
On March 13, Russia agreed to extend the agreement for another 60 days, until May 18. Russia warned it would terminate the agreement after this deadline if the barriers to its food and fertilizer exports were not removed.
Following negotiations between delegations from Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations in Istanbul on May 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the grain agreement had been extended for another two months, starting on May 18.
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