The UN assures that it will not allow the termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative

UkrAgroConsult

The UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, said that the Black Sea Grain Initiative is not blocked, and work is underway to continue it.

“The Black Sea Grain Initiative is not blocked. And this is extremely important,” she said at a meeting with journalists in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The UN emphasized that there are difficulties, but work is ongoing.

“The Black Sea Initiative can do more. We cannot allow it to end… Believe me, we will not allow it to stop. We cannot afford it, and neither can Ukraine,” she emphasized.

Brown emphasized the importance of neutrality for the continuation of the dialogue with Russia.

“And this is what is happening now, when we are trying to work within the initiative,” she explained.

The coordinator reminded that the initiative is due to be extended in March.

“Before the last extension of the initiative in November, we spent a lot of time in September and October working out many issues,” she said.

As you know, on January 20, the Presidents of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the extension of the grain deal and allowed its expansion to other ports of Ukraine.

On January 24, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said that less than 60 days remained until the Black Sea Grain Initiative was completed, and work was underway to extend it, as it was currently the only way to supply Ukrainian grain in large volumes.

As a reminder, the rate of vessels leaving ports under the Grain Initiative has fallen to a critically low level. As of January 30, 117 vessels were awaiting inspection in Turkish territorial waters.

In the Bosphorus, the Russian side in the Joint Coordination Center continues to block the implementation of the initiative and artificially increase the queue of ships.

Tags: Ukraine, export, grain