ANKARA, Mar 15 Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday that negotiations are underway to extend the grain deal by 120 days.
Russia has made a decision to extend it for only 60 days due to the lack of progress in the supply of Russian food and fertilizers, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin told reporters on Tuesday.
«We have begun negotiations on extending the grain deal for another 120 days. Our friends have held talks with the Russian and Ukrainian sides at the technical level, and we continue to meet at the ministerial level,» Akar told reporters.
< br />According to him, as part of the deal, more than 24 million tons of grain have been delivered to date.
«The deal is important for both regional and international peace, it significantly influenced price stabilization. It is important to continue it, so instead of extending it for 60 days, we are negotiating an extension for 120 days. The parties will evaluate this proposal and make a decision. I hope in the shortest possible time we will reach the deadline for resolving the issue,» the minister said. /zerno-1853393684.html» data-title=»Putin spoke about the export of Russian grain»>
The grain deal, which was signed on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN, involves the export of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizer across the Black Sea from three ports, including Odessa. The Joint Coordinating Center (JCC) in Istanbul is responsible for coordinating the movement of ships. The contract expired on November 18, 2022, but meant an automatic extension for 120 days until March 18, if either party did not object. The Russian Foreign Ministry then stated that «no such objections were received», at the same time noting that the Russian side allows the technical prolongation of the «Black Sea initiative» for the export of Ukrainian grain without any changes in terms and scope.
The grain deal itself is a component part of the package agreement, which, among other things, provides for the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers, Moscow noted that this was precisely what was not implemented. At the same time, there were assurances from the UN that the restrictions would be lifted.