EU's unwillingness to reconnect Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT complicates grain deal implementation - Peskov

MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax) - The European Union's unwillingness to reconnect Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international interbank messaging system complicates the grain deal's implementation, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"This shows, among other things, that, despite all efforts being made by the United Nations and Mr. Guterres [UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres], he has to deal with an unconstructive position of some Westerners. This complicates the implementation of the Russian part of the Black Sea Initiative, or the Black Sea deal," Peskov said in commenting on media reports that the EU is not planning to reconnect Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT.

"Anyway, contacts are continuing and will continue, because the deal has been extended by two months, but this is not a very long time. It will expire quite soon," Peskov said.