Talks on Extending Grain Deal to Enter Active Phase in Coming Days

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Active negotiations on extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative, commonly known as the grain deal, are expected to start in the coming days, a source familiar with the matter told Sputnik.

"I think that the negotiations will enter an active phase already starting this week," the source said, adding that the talks will not be easy, "but work is underway."

In July 2022, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations struck a deal to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships carrying food and fertilizer exports out of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. It is part of a UN- and Turkey-brokered package agreement that also includes a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN and unblocks exports of Ukrainian and Russian grain and fertilizers in the Black Sea.

Last fall, the grain deal, originally scheduled to expire on November 19, was renewed for another 120 days and is now set to expire on March 18, if not renewed again.

Earlier this month, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said that it was important to make sure that fertilizers from Russia were exported under the grain agreement between the UN and Russia, as countries from the Global South are in need of those supplies.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Griffiths’ confidence in the extension of the grain deal after March 18 was surprising against the background of a decrease in grain supplies to the poorest countries.

The United Nations and Turkey are working to remove obstacles to the export of Russian agricultural products and ammonia to the markets, a source familiar with the negotiations to extend the grain deal told Sputnik.

"This is the most problematic issue. You know that since the very first day the UN and Turkey have been dealing with this issue, Turkey has used all diplomatic efforts to ensure that the grain deal works on all points, fully. In this context, work is underway, negotiations are ongoing," the source said.