Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the UN were unable to reach an agreement on the continuation of Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports, a UN spokesman said on May 5.
The parties failed to authorize any new ships under a deal allowing safe Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain, though daily inspections of previously authorized ships continue.
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Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the United Nations urged all parties to “continue discussions, overcome operational challenges and work towards the full implementation and continuation of the initiative.”
He said Guterres had forwarded to all parties a proposal for further actions aimed at improving and expanding the initiative, taking the positions of all parties into account.
The United Nations and Turkey brokered the grain export deal in July to help tackle a global food crisis worsened by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Under the deal, officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the UN make up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul that implements inspections and other provisions of the deal.
The current extension of the deal expires on May 18, and Russia has said it will not extend the pact beyond that date unless its list of demands is met to remove obstacles such as restrictions on payments, logistics, and insurance.
Russia told its JCC counterparts last month that it will not approve any new vessels to take part in the exports of Ukrainian grain unless their operators guarantee the transits will be completed by May 18, according to a letter quoted by Reuters.
Ukraine has been putting forward daily a list of ships to be authorized. Once approved those ships are then inspected by the JCC before traveling to a Black Sea port to collect Ukrainian grain and return to Turkish waters for a final inspection. The inspections provide assurance to Russia that no weapons are being shipped into Ukraine.
The agreement also provided for the lifting of restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products.
Top UN trade official Rebeca Grynspan met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin in Moscow on May 5 to discuss UN efforts to "to facilitate the unimpeded export of Russian food and fertilizer, including ammonia," Haq said.
Talks between Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey are to continue next week when the countries’ deputy defense ministers meet to discuss the grain export agreement.