UN focused on removing obstacles to grain deal payments: Spokesperson
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The initial 120-day agreement was extended once in November and was due to expire on March 18.
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The United Nations headquarters building is pictured with a UN logo in the Manhattan borough of New York City (Reuters)
United Nations Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric acknowledged, on Tuesday, the UN-brokered grain exports agreement, previously known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, is still facing payment hindrances, stressing the United Nations is making every effort to remove those obstacles.
During a press briefing, he said, "Meaningful progress has been made but it is true that some obstacles remain, notably with regard to payment systems. Our efforts to overcome those obstacles will continue unabated."
He went on to say that the initiative is meant to be renewed for 120 days but at this moment, and the focus of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is to ensure its continuity.
A flashback
After talks with the United Nations on Monday, Russia decided to extend the Ukrainian grain export deal for another 60 days only.
Moscow stated it wanted to witness "tangible progress" on a parallel agreement on Russian exports before the deal comes up for renewal again.
It is worth noting that the grain export deal has helped ease the global food crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine and the Western sanctions against Russia.
According to the UN, more than 24.1 million tonnes of grain have been exported through the UN and Turkey-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI).
The initial 120-day agreement was extended once in November and was due to expire on March 18.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said, after concluding the talks with top United Nations officials at the Palais des Nations UN headquarters in Geneva, that Moscow wants to see deeds, not words on upholding this second part of the package.
"The Russian side ... does not object to another extension of the 'Black Sea Initiative' after its second term expiration on March 18, but only for 60 days," Vershinin said in a statement issued by the Russian mission in Geneva.
"Our further stance will be determined upon the tangible progress on normalization of our agricultural exports, not (in) words, but in deeds, It includes bank payments, transport logistics, insurance, 'unfreezing' of financial activities and ammonia supplies via the Tolyatti-Odessa pipeline," he added.
Vershinin headed the Russian delegation in talks with UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths and Rebeca Grynspan, head of the UN's trade and development agency UNCTAD.
While the BSGI is concerned with the export of Ukrainian grain, the second agreement, reached between Moscow and the United Nations, is meant to enable the export of Russian food and fertilizer, which are free from Western sanctions placed on Moscow.
"The comprehensive and frank conversation has once again confirmed that while the commercial export of Ukrainian products is carried out at a steady pace, bringing considerable profits to Kiev, restrictions on the Russian agricultural exporters are still in place," Vershinin said.
"The sanctions exemptions for food and fertilizers announced by Washington, Brussels, and London are essentially inactive," he noted.
According to UN figures, about half of the BSGI exports are corn, and more than a quarter are wheat.
