The next meeting of representatives of the United Nations and the Russian Federation on the agreement for the supply of Russian grain and fertilizers, concluded in parallel with the "grain deal", may take place in February, as stated in an interview by the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov.
The grain initiative was part of a package agreement. The second part - the Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years - envisaged unlocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers. Among the main tasks were the reconnection of Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, the resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts, and servicing, the restoration of the operation of the ammonia pipeline "Togliatti-Odessa", and a number of other measures. As repeatedly noted in Moscow, this part of the package agreement was not fulfilled.
"In order to mitigate the negative impact of the West's destructive policies, we initiated a campaign to organize gratuitous deliveries of Russian grain and fertilizers to the poorest countries in the world. However, even here we do not escape the negative consequences of Western restrictions. Increasing costs, complicating logistics, and growing risks create problems with the availability and cost of these goods. In such complex conditions, Russia and the UN continue to discuss issues related to ensuring free access of Russian agricultural products to international markets. This issue is being discussed at regular consultations with the UN team, led by the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebecca Grinspan. The next consultations may take place in February," he said.
The Black Sea initiative, signed by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the UN on July 22, 2022, envisaged the export of Ukrainian grain and food, as well as fertilizers through the Black Sea from three ports, including Odessa. The "grain deal" was terminated on July 18, 2023, when Russia informed Turkey, Ukraine, and the UN of its disagreement with the extension of the deal.