Russia plans to complete unfulfilled provisions of grain deal by July 18

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said on Tuesday that Russia is "leading to the completion" of those provisions of the Black Sea Grain Initiative that are not being implemented.

"We are working to ensure that July 18 is the time for the completion of those agreements that are not being implemented," Vershinin told reporters in Moscow.

The diplomat noted that contacts on the future of the grain deal are ongoing and that Moscow will not drop its demand to restore fertilizer supplies through the Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline.

"We do not remove this requirement because it is included in both packages (Ukrainian and Russian parts of the deal), in general agreements, ... but at the same time, we understand that after the Ukrainian side blew up the ammonia pipeline, there are no real opportunities to start it quickly," he said.

As for formally terminating the agreement, Vershinin said it is up to the UN to do so.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine initially signed an agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports for 180 days, later it was expanded two times till July 18.