Geneva (agencies)
Yesterday, the United Nations expressed its concern after Russia considered this week that there was no “reason” to extend the Ukrainian grain export agreement, which expires on July 17.
“There is absolutely no doubt that we are concerned,” said the UN official involved in the negotiations, Rebecca Greenspan, to reporters in Geneva.
She added, “The Russian mission has already come to Geneva, and we look forward to going to Moscow in the remaining days” before the end of the agreement.
Moscow has previously threatened several times to withdraw from this agreement, which was signed in July 2022, which provides safe passage for Ukrainian grains exported through the Black Sea, claiming that some provisions for the export of Russian fertilizers were not respected despite successive United Nations commitments.
“The United Nations remains determined to do everything in its power to preserve these agreements,” Greenspan said.
“We hope that we can ensure that it is extended for the benefit of the world’s most fragile countries and people,” she added.
Since the start of the Ukrainian crisis in February 2022, Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea have been closed by warships, until the agreement signed in July allowed the passage of important grain exports.
In the context, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that his country adheres to the idea of extending the grain deal, which expires after less than two weeks.
Fidan said, “Turkey was able to ensure negotiations on the most important issues, thanks to (the Black Sea Initiative) we were able to bring Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations to the negotiating table and avoid a global food crisis. Turkey adheres to the idea of keeping this initiative alive and we hope with your support.” In addition, data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture showed that grain exports in the new season (2023-2024) amounted to 276,000 tons as of Wednesday.
This amount includes 191,000 tons of corn, 65,000 tons of wheat and 20,000 tons of barley.
The ministry did not provide an exact comparison with exports in the same period a year ago, but said that Ukraine exported 163,000 tons of grain from the beginning of the previous season to July 6, 2022. Exports in the entire 2022-2023 season amounted to nearly 49 million tons, exceeding the amount The previous season, which amounted to 48.4 million.
Cereal production in Ukraine, one of the most important countries that grow and export grain, declined to about 53 million tons in 2022 from 86 million tons in 2021, while the ministry said that the grain harvest in 2023 may drop to 46 million tons.
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