UN chief Guterres from Kiev says to extend Grain Deal is 'critical'

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United Nations Secretary-General chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stressed in Kiev the importance of extending the international accord that allowed grain exports to resume from Ukraine.

The deal, which will automatically renew on March 18 unless Moscow or Kiev objects, was inked by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations last July.

"I want to underscore the critical importance of the rollover of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on 18 March and of working to create the conditions to enable the greatest possible use of export infrastructures through the Black Sea," Guterres said during a visit to Kiev.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile said it was "critically necessary for the entire world" to renew the deal.

The deal has made possible the export of 23 million tonnes of grain from three separate Ukrainian ports, Guterres highlighted.

It has "contributed to lowering the global cost of food and has offered critical relief to people, who are also paying a high price for this war, particularly in the developing world," the UN chief pointed out. 

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

Under last year's deal, Russia was promised the right to export fertilizer free from Western sanctions. However, Moscow insists that this part of the agreement has not been respected.

West unlikely to facilitate Russia grain exports under deal: Official

A couple of days ago, Cagri Erhan, a member of the Turkish Presidential Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told Sputnik that Western countries are unlikely to facilitate exports of Russian grain under the Black Sea grain deal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had accused the West of "shamelessly burying" the grain deal, saying the exports of Russian agricultural products around the world are being blatantly hindered.

The Russian Mission to the United Nations previously stated the country's fertilizers have not been shipped and cannot enter places like Syria even in the form of humanitarian aid.

"Americans and their Western allies will continue to make it difficult for Russia for any kind of revenue gaining, including the grain deal," Erhan indicated.

"However in final analysis this is a humanitarian thing. So the United Nations must do their best to prevent the grain deal from any kind of sanctions. It is not similar to any other thing like oil exporting or weapon exporting. It is something human life is depending on," the Turkish official pointed out.

The counselor also noted that Ankara was doing its utmost to extend the deal, not only for Turkey's sake but also for countries in Africa that are fully dependent on Russian and Ukrainian grain and fertilizers.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday during the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Qatar that Turkey is mobilizing considerable efforts into extending the Grain deal to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted exports of grains through the Black Sea corridor. 

On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, "It is obvious that the Americans and Europeans do not care about the countries in need and efforts of the UN, which they have long and stubbornly been trying to turn into an obedient tool for serving their political goals."

The Ministry pointed out in a statement that a great share of Ukrainian grain goes to the European Union, as opposed to the poorest countries.

The statement added that the deal is being implemented far from the agreed-upon humanitarian goals and only on the export of Ukranian food.

Read more: UN, Turkey awaiting Western guarantees to extend grain deal