BERLIN, Mar 15 The German government is asking Russia to extend the grain deal beyond the promised 60 days, a cabinet spokesperson said at a briefing on Wednesday Christiane Hoffmann.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin told reporters that the 60 days for which Russia agreed to extend the grain deal is a sufficient period for progress to be made on the issue of unblocking Russian exports of food and fertilizers. The grain deal itself is an integral 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.
“We call on the Russian government to ensure the extension of the grain deal beyond the specified 60 days,” she said during a government briefing.
This request in the Cabinet of Germany was explained by the fact that around the world over 300 million people are experiencing hunger.
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 extension of the Black Sea initiative to export Ukrainian grain without any changes in terms and scope.