Moscow is ready to provide free grain to needy African countries for an amount equal to previous deliveries under the grain deal, if the deal is not extended after 60 days. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa Parliamentary Conference, informed Interfax.
“If we nevertheless take the decision not to extend this agreement after 60 days, then we are ready to provide free of charge all the volume that was sent the previous time to countries in Africa which are in particular need, from Russia to these country,” he added. said the Head of State.
He added that Russia has decided to extend for 60 days the agreements on the export of Ukrainian food products through the Black Sea and the unblocking of Russian agricultural exports, guided mainly by the needs of African countries.
“At the same time, we insist on the comprehensive nature of this agreement, primarily in the interest of African countries and other developing countries, bearing in mind that they need large quantities of food. And we insist on full compliance with the main Russian demands,” Putin concluded.
In July 2022, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN signed an agreement in Istanbul on the export of grain from Ukrainian ports along a safe sea corridor for 120 days. In November, it was extended for 120 days, until March 18, 2023.
According to the UN, during the period of the grain agreement, Ukraine exported 25 million tons of grain to 45 countries. At the same time, Russian officials insist that Ukrainian grain is mainly destined for developed countries in Europe and not for the poorest countries.
March 14, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko informed on the 60-day extension of the grain agreement. In the Kremlin, this decision called “goodwill gesture.” At the same time, Grushko stressed that Moscow intends to “persistently seek” the execution of the second part of the agreement, concerning the supply of Russian agricultural products on the international market.
According to the Russian side, the conditions of this clause of the agreement are not fulfilled due to the sanctions of the United States, Great Britain and the European Union, underline Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vasily Nebenzya.
Four days later, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN announced that an agreement had been reached to extend the duration of the grain agreement. In Kiev, they said the agreement had been extended for another 120 days.
However, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, did not confirm this information, noting that it was a question of extending the agreement for 60 days.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry did not confirm this information, saying that it was a question of extending the agreement for a shorter period, about which Moscow informed all its participants.
