Image: Freepik
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it saw no prospects for extending the Black Sea grain export deal, which is set to expire in mid-July, two Russian news agencies reported.
TASS quoted the ministry as saying that consultations with the United Nations continue and that ship inspections have resumed. RIA said a new round of talks between Russia and the UN will take place in Geneva on June 9.
{module Form RD}
The deal was originally negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations last July to allow Ukraine to resume exports from its southern ports, which had been blockaded by Russia since the start of its invasion.
To help convince Russia to support the deal, a three-year pact was also reached last July in which the UN agreed to help Moscow carry out its food and fertilizer shipments.
Russia has repeatedly threatened to end the deal, complaining that there are still obstacles to its own food and fertilizer exports.
The country also demands the reopening of a pipeline carrying ammonia from Russia to the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Pivdennyi, known in Russian as Yuzhny, for export to global markets, and the reconnection of its agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the international payments network Swift .
The deal was last renewed on May 18 and Russia agreed to extend it for another 60 days, until July 17.
Source: Notícias Agrícolas
