United Nations chiefs on Friday held talks with Russian officials over the Black Sea deals on grain and fertilizer exports, eight days before one of the deals expires.
Martin Griffiths, UN chief for humanitarian aid, and Rebeca Grynspan, head of the UN trade and development agency UNCTAD, met with a high-level delegation from Moscow led by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin.
UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci confirmed that talks are underway at the UN headquarters in the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
“They will continue ongoing consultations in support of (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ efforts to fully implement the two agreements signed in Istanbul on July 22,” she said.
“We hope that the talks will bring about progress in facilitating the unhindered export of food and fertilizers originating in the Russian Federation to world markets.”
– 10.2 million tons exported –
Two deals brokered by the UN and Turkey were signed on July 22 – to allow the export of Ukrainian grain, which has been blocked by Russia’s war in the country, and the export of Russian food and fertilizers, despite Western sanctions imposed on Moscow imposed on his invasion of Ukraine.
The 120-day Black Sea Grains Initiative expires on November 19, and the United Nations is seeking a one-year extension of the accords.
However, Moscow has not yet said whether it will agree to this.
It complains that the second agreement to exempt its fertilizers from sanctions, which is to run for three years, is not being complied with.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest grain producers and the Russian invasion had 20 million tons of grain blocked in its ports until the safe passage deal was agreed.
As of Thursday, 10.2 million tonnes of grain and other food had been exported from Ukraine under the deal, assuaging some fears of a deepening global food security crisis.
– “Very Serious” Effects –
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said the impact could be of grave concern for global food security if the deal is not renewed.
“We see it as an important initiative that has improved food availability,” said Boubaker Ben-Belhassen, director of FAO’s Markets and Trade Division.
“However, should we find ourselves in a scenario where nobody wants to see the deal being terminated, I think the situation could be very difficult and the impact very serious,” he told reporters via video link from Rome , where the FAO is based.
He specifically pointed to global food security, prices, availability and staple foods.
Ben-Belhassen said that in the short term, prices for wheat, corn and sunflower oil in particular would increase, while grain availability on the world market would decrease.
This could have serious implications for countries dependent on Black Sea imports, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
Ben-Belhassen also warned of the repercussions within Ukraine if the deals are not renewed.
The grain deal has so far allowed Ukraine to free up stocks from the last winter harvest, relieving pressure on storage capacity, he said.
It has also provided farmers in the war-torn country with a source of income, enabling them to make decisions about future investments and planting the next crop, he added.
