"Regarding the possibility of resuming the Black Sea grain initiative, the following issues are needed: First of all, it is necessary to fully implement the obligations within the framework of the Russia-UN memorandum on the normalization of domestic agricultural exports.
To date, despite the efforts of the United Nations, we have not seen any progress in lifting sanctions restrictions from economic operators engaged in production and export, including in the areas of bank payments, insurance, transport logistics and the supply of spare parts to Russia," Alexey Polishchuk, the Russian Foreign Ministry official in charge of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), said on November 2.
The implementation of the grain deal, an agreement to ensure transport corridors for grain ships from Ukraine on the Black Sea, was signed in July 2022. However, the agreement has ended and will not be extended as Russia announced its withdrawal from the agreement on July 18.
Ships carrying grain at the port of Odessa, Ukraine. (Photo: Getty)
In this regard, President Vladimir Putin said that the terms of the agreement regarding Russia were not met. The Russian leader repeatedly pointed out that the West exported most of Ukraine's grain to their territories, while the main purpose of the agreement - to supply grain to poor countries, including African countries - was never fulfilled.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stressed that Moscow is ready to return to the agreement but only if the terms related to Russia are fully implemented.
Both Ukraine and Russia are the world's top grain exporters. After Russia withdrew from the grain deal, grain shipments across the Black Sea are no longer guaranteed.
Kong Anh (Source: TASS)
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