UN, Russian reps may meet on grain deal in coming days

NEW YORK, UN. June 30 (Interfax) - United Nations and Russian representatives may meet in the coming days to discuss an extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq said on Friday.

"I do believe some officials will have a meeting in the coming days," Haq said at a press briefing when asked by a reporter whether any meetings between the UN and Russia on the grain deal are on the agenda.

He said, however, that he cannot announce any specific meetings at this point.

Haq said earlier on Friday that the Joint Coordination Center had not issued a single permit for any new bulk carriers to join the Black Sea Grain Initiative since June 26.

"We note with concern that no new vessels have been allowed to join the Black Sea Initiative since June 26, despite the submission of 29 applications to the Joint Coordination Center," Haq told the press briefing.

If new vessels are unable to participate in the initiative, "a million or more tonnes of food will remain stuck" at seaports until July 17, the day the deal is due to expire, Haq said.

The grain deal was signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022. The UN, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine signed two documents to open a grain corridor from three Ukrainian ports - Chernomorsk, Odessa and Yuzhny, and to enable Russian food and fertilizer exports.

The initiative was extended for 120 days in November 2022. After the initiative expired on March 18, it was extended for another 60 days until May 18.

On May 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Black Sea Grain Initiative was extended by another two months.

On May 25, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that one will have to look for alternatives to the Black Sea Grain Initiative if Russia's Rosselkhozbank is not connected to SWIFT and there is no progress in fixing other "systemic" problems blocking Russian agricultural exports.

In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that Russia is pondering the possibility of pulling out of the deal.