UN wants Black Sea grain deal extended for a year
UN wants Black Sea grain deal extended for a year
By AFP
The four-month deal on exporting grains from Ukraine agreed with Moscow and Kyiv, which runs out on November 22, should be extended for a year, a UN chief said Monday.
The United Nations' humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said he was "reasonably confident" that the Black Sea Grain Initiative deal would be renewed.
Two agreements were signed under the UN on July 22 -- to allow the export of Ukrainian cereals blocked by Russia's war in the country, and the export of Russian food and fertilisers despite Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.
"It needs to go beyond the four-month cycle. We need to see it renewed for a year," Griffiths told a press conference in Geneva.
"The farmers need to know soon whether it is worth planting for the harvest that will come next year. And for that reason, we need to have a kind of certainty on the Black Sea operation."
Russia complains that despite the Black Sea agreement, it is not able to sell its food and fertilisers due to the sanctions on its financial and logistics sectors.
"We would like to see it renewed and possibly even expanded to include more fertiliser," said Griffiths.
