Three new ships were authorised today to take part in a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, the UN has said.
Russia had threatened to quit the Black Sea agreement if a list of demands to overcome obstacles to its own grain and fertiliser exports was not met by 18 May.
The Kremlin said today it had extended the agreement for 60 days because some results from talks had given it “certain hopes”, but more progress needed to be made.
The UN and Turkey brokered the deal for an initial 120 days in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been aggravated by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The deal had ground to a halt on Wednesday after the last authorised ship left a Ukrainian port.
Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN make
up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, which
implements the pact. They authorise and inspect ships.
No new
vessels had been authorised since 4 May, which Ukraine blamed on
Russia.
But the JCC authorised three new vessels today to travel
to the Ukrainian ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, said deputy
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq.
