The United Nations (UN) has confirmed that the Black Sea Grain Initiative allowing Ukraine to export grain and agricultural produce has been extended.
The deal signed by Ukraine and Russia on July 22, 2022 had been due to expire on Sunday, March 19.
The agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey, allows for the safe navigation of exports of grain, foodstuffs and fertilisers, including ammonia, from designated Ukrainian ports.
25 million metric tonnes of grain and foodstuffs have been shipped to 45 countries since the initiative began.
The UN said that this is “helping to bring down global food prices and stabilising the markets”.
In a statement the UN thanked the Turkish government “for the diplomatic and operational support to the Black Sea Grain Initiative”.
“The Black Sea Grain Initiative, alongside the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on promoting Russian food products and fertilisers to the world markets, are critical for global food security, especially for developing countries.
“We remain strongly committed to both agreements and we urge all sides to redouble their efforts to implement them fully,” the statement outlined.
Black Sea Grain Initiative
However, the UN statement did not specify how long the deal, which has until now operated on a 120-day cycle, would be extended for.
Earlier this week, Russia said that it was willing to extend the measure, but only for another 60 days. Ukraine said a move to shorten the extension would go against the agreement document.
This afternoon, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Twitter that the deal had been extended for 120 days.
He thanked the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Minister of National Defence, Hulusi Akar and “all our partners for sticking to the agreement”.
The UN previously said that the continuation of the deal “is crucial for global food security, as grain and fertiliser prices and availability have not returned to pre-war levels, causing hardship, particularly in developing countries”.