Zelensky, Guterres call for extending Black Sea Grain Initiative beyond March 18

MOSCOW. March 9 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have spoken in favor of extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative past March 18, when the current agreement expires.

"The Black Sea Grain Initiative's extension after March 18 is critically essential for the whole world," Ukrainian media quoted Zelensky as saying at a press briefing in Kiev on Wednesday, following a meeting with Guterres.

"I want to underscore the critical importance of the rollover of the Black Sea Grain Initiative," Guterres said.

Zelensky also emphasized the importance of "acting within the framework of our Grain from Ukraine humanitarian initiative," which helped "raise over $200 million and send 140,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain to Europe, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. I am sure we can significantly bolster this initiative. This would provide even more guarantees of global food security," Zelensky said.

Guterres said the Black Sea Grain Initiative has facilitated the export of 23 million tonnes of grain and has been instrumental in bringing down global food prices and tackling food insecurity. In particular, it has caused the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index to decline by nearly 20%, he said.

"Exports of Ukrainian - as well as Russian - food and fertilizers are essential to global food security and food prices," he said.