Grain Deal extended for two months
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced this on Twitter, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"I wish that this decision, which is vital for the smooth operation of global food supply chains and especially for facilitating access to grain for countries in need, will be beneficial to all parties," Erdogan wrote.
The text states that it was agreed to extend the agreement for another two months thanks to Türkiye's efforts and the contribution of the Ukrainian side.
"We will continue our efforts to ensure that all the terms of the agreement are fulfilled and that it is extended in the next period," Erdogan assured.
He also said that the Russian side had promised not to prevent Turkish ships from entering the ports of Mykolaiv and Olvia.
Erdogan expressed hope that Russia's war against Ukraine ends first with a permanent ceasefire and then with peace.
The President of Türkiye thanked the President of Ukraine and the UN Secretary General for their efforts in reaching the result.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction - Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine wrote on Facebook that the grain deal under which Ukraine exports agricultural products through seaports will be in effect until July 18, 2023.
"The world will continue to receive Ukrainian products thanks to the efforts of our partners in the agreement - Türkiye and the UN. We are grateful to our partners for their unwavering and purposeful position that the agreement should continue to work on the terms signed by all parties. I would like to note that the grain initiative has been in effect until July 18 (it was extended in March for 120 days)," he said.
Kubrakov added that Ukraine has already exported 30.4 million tonnes of agricultural products under the agreement.
The Deputy Prime Minister reminded that in mid-April, Russia began to unreasonably restrict the initiative. In May, Russia blocked it by refusing to register and inspect a new fleet that was going to be loaded in Ukrainian ports.
The head of the Ministry of Reconstruction noted that almost 70 vessels are currently waiting in Turkish territorial waters, 90% of which are ready to deliver Ukrainian farmers' products to the world.
"We welcome the continuation of the Initiative, but we emphasize that it must work effectively. To do this, it is necessary to eliminate the problems that Russia has been creating for several months in a row by sabotaging inspections and registration of the new fleet," Kubrakov emphasized.
He expressed hope that the partners would make every effort to ensure that the grain deal would start working fully for the world's food security and that "Russia would finally stop using food as a weapon and for blackmail".
As Ukrinform reported, Ukraine, the United Nations, and Türkiye agreed on March 18, 2023, to extend the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Agricultural Products through the Black Sea. The agreement was extended for 120 days, but Russia stated that the agreement would be valid until May 18, 2023.
Starting in April 2023, the Russian side has consistently blocked the implementation of the grain deal. From May 8 to May 14, 2023, according to the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, not a single vessel was inspected or registered for entry to Ukrainian seaports.
