Ukraine-Black Sea Grain Export Deal Extended, Says UN, Turkey – Al Jazeera English – S Chronicles

A deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain from its Black Sea ports was due to expire on Saturday.

A deal allowing the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea, which expired on Saturday, has been extended, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the United Nations announced.

The deal came after talks with Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan said in a speech in the western city of Canakkale on Saturday, but didn’t say how long the deal’s extension would last.

Russia said it had agreed to a 60-day extension, while Ukraine’s infrastructure minister said the deal had been extended by 120 days.

The deal between the two warring factions, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July, has seen more than 11 million tons of agricultural products shipped from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, including 4.5 million tons of corn and 3.2 million tons of wheat.

“This agreement is of vital importance for the global food supply,” Erdogan said in television commentaries. “I thank Russia and Ukraine, who have spared no effort for a new extension, as well as the Secretary-General of the United Nations.”

Before the war, Ukraine was one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, and the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative has helped alleviate global food shortages caused by the conflict.

“Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of sunflower oil, wheat and grains,” said Al Jazeera’s Stephanie Dekker, reporting from the outskirts of Kyiv. “What is produced here – and what is exported – has a direct impact on food prices around the world.”

During Russia’s full-scale invasion last February, Ukraine’s Black Sea ports were blockaded by warships.

But the grain deal has allowed the safe passage of exports of critical stocks of grain to combat a global food crisis. The original agreement was extended by 120 days in November.

Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the latest extension was for another 120 days. Ankara had previously said it wanted a 120-day extension, while Russia favored a 60-day extension.

Kubrakov thanked the United Nations and Turkey for honoring what was agreed in the Grains Agreement.

“[The] The Black Sea Grains Initiative agreement will be extended by 120 days,” Kubrakov said on Twitter. “Gratitude to Antonio Guterres, the United Nations, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, [Defence] Minister Hulusi Akar and all our partners for sticking to the agreement.”

#BlackSeaGrainInitiative The contract is extended by 120 days. Thankful @antonioguterres @U.N, President Erdoğan, Minister Hulusi Akar & all our partners for honoring the agreements. Thanks to our joint efforts, 25 million tons of 🇺🇦 grain have been shipped to world markets pic.twitter.com/4bye93iQ7d

— Oleksandr Kubrakov (@OlKubrakov) March 18, 2023

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “We are seeing reports from parties to the ‘grain deal’ that the deal has been extended by 120 days.

“We have repeatedly stated … that the Russian side has informed all parties to the deal that it is extending the deal for 60 days,” Zakharova said in a note transmitted by the Interfax news agency.