Ukraine Black Sea grain export deal prolonged, UN and Turkey say

An settlement permitting Ukraine to ship grain from its Black Sea ports was as a result of expire on Saturday.

A deal permitting the export of Ukrainian grain over the Black Sea, which had been as a result of expire on Saturday, has been renewed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the United Nations have introduced.

The settlement was concluded after talks with Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan mentioned in a speech within the western metropolis of Canakkale on Saturday, however he didn’t specify how lengthy the extension of the deal was for.

Russia mentioned it had agreed to a 60-day extension, whereas Ukraine’s infrastructure minister mentioned the deal had been prolonged for 120 days.

The deal between the 2 warring sides, brokered in July by Turkey and the UN, has seen greater than 11 million tonnes of agricultural merchandise shipped from three of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, together with 4.5 million tonnes of corn and three.2 million tonnes of wheat.

“This deal is of vital importance for the global food supply,” Erdogan mentioned in televised feedback. “I thank Russia and Ukraine, who didn’t spare their efforts for a new extension, as well as the United Nations secretary general.”

Before the conflict, Ukraine was one of many world’s prime farm producers, and the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative has helped soothe the worldwide meals crunch triggered by the battle.

“Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of sunflower oil, also wheat and grain,” mentioned Al Jazeera’s Stephanie Dekker, reporting from the outskirts of Kyiv. “What is produced here – and what gets exported – has a direct effect on food prices around the world.”

Russia’s full-scale invasion in February final yr noticed Ukraine’s Black Sea ports blocked by warships.

But the grain deal has allowed for the secure passage of exports of important grain provides to fight a international meals disaster. The preliminary settlement was prolonged in November for 120 days.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov mentioned the most recent extension was for an additional 120 days. Ankara had beforehand mentioned it needed a 120-day extension whereas Russia was in favour of a 60-day extension.

Kubrakov thanked the UN and Turkey for adhering to the agreements within the grain deal.

“[The] Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement is extended for 120 dayss,” Kubrakov mentioned on Twitter. “Grateful to Antonio Guterres, the United Nations, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, [Defence] Minister Hulusi Akar and all our partners for sticking to the agreement.”

#BlackSeaGrainInitiative settlement is prolonged for 120 days. Grateful to @antonioguterres @UN, President Erdoğan, Minister Hulusi Akar & all our companions 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

Russian international ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned: “We are seeing stories from events to the ‘grain deal’ that the deal has been prolonged for 120 days.

“We have repeatedly stated … that the Russian side has notified all parties to the deal that it is extending the deal for 60 days,” Zakharova mentioned in remarks carried by the Interfax information company.