Ankara [Turkey], May 17 : Russia has agreed to extend the Ukraine Black Sea grain deal for another two months, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday, The Moscow Times reported.
This announcement came just a day before a 60-day extension, agreed back in March, was set to expire.
"Our Russian friends said they will not interfere with Turkish ships leaving [Ukraine's] ports. We thank them for this," The Moscow Times quoted Erdogan as saying.
The latest extension comes a week after talks in Istanbul between senior officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations.
Earlier in March, Erdogan announced an extension of the Black Sea grain deal, CNN reported. However, he did not reveal details regarding the expiration date of the deal.
The deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July to ensure safe passage for ships carrying grain exports from Ukraine. The deal was set to expire today.
In July last year, Ukraine and Russia signed the agreement following months of negotiations brokered by the UN and Turkey. The agreement allowed the resumption of exports of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea.
Earlier, on November 2, Russia resumed its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, after securing guarantees from Ukraine on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations.
"With the help of an international organisation and Turkey, the necessary written guarantees from Ukraine on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations against the Russian Federation were obtained and submitted to the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) on November 1," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
"The Russian Federation believes that the guarantees received at this time are adequate and resumes implementation of the agreement - the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports (the Black Sea Initiative) - which had been halted following the terrorist attack in Sevastopol," the statement added.
According to the statement released by United Nations, the Black Sea grain initiative allowed commercial food and fertilizer (including ammonia) exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea - Odesa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. The Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) was established to monitor the implementation of the initiative.
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