Borrell stands for extending Istanbul grain deal

BRUSSELS. Feb 20 (Interfax) - The grain deal to export food products from Ukraine should be extended in order to avert a repeat of the global food crisis, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

"The Black Sea Grain Initiative is expiring in mid-March, in a couple of weeks. It needs to continue," Borrell told reporters.

More than 50 million tonnes of foodstuffs have been exported from Ukraine thanks to this deal, he said.

The United Nations, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine signed documents in Istanbul on July 22, 2022 to export grain from three ports in Ukrainian territory - Chernomorsk, Odessa and Yuzhny.