Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

No progress on Black Sea grains deal renewal

Moscow may terminate the deal which allows food and fertiliser exports from several Ukrainian Black Sea ports

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kulebaл
Photo: EPA/BGNES

Following the November 11 meeting in Geneva on the grain deal, the UN called on countries around the world to lift barriers to Russian fertilizer exports, BTA reported. UN officials on Friday met with Russia’s deputy foreign minister to discuss the unimpeded export of grain and fertilizers. The negotiations come eight days before the deal brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July is due to be renewed. The accord has helped stave off a global food crisis by allowing the export of food and fertilisers from several of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

Moscow has indicated that it could quit the deal, set to expire on Nov. 19, if no progress is made on its concerns about restrictions on Russian food and fertiliser exports imposed by the West after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The has war caused a spike in prices of basic foodstuffs and sparked fears of a global food crisis. 

"The world cannot afford to let global fertilizer accessibility problems become a global food shortage," UN declared in a statement and called on "all actors to expedite the removal of any remaining impediments to the export and transportation of fertilizers to countries most in need." 

The organisation also managed to unblock a shipment of 20,000 tons of fertilizer in the Netherlands, stuck in the Dutch port of Rotterdam due to EU-imposed sanctions on certain individuals and goods. The shipment will head for Malawi in the coming days under the auspices of the UN's World Food Programme.

Speaking at a news conference in Cambodia on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba noted that Russia remaining part of the deal was insufficient and measures should be taken ensure its inspectors were not intentionally delaying shipments and forcing global prices to rise.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

New attempt to elect speaker 18 days after the opening of the 51st National Assembly

Bulgarian MPs are meeting today for the seventh time in an attempt to elect a speaker of the 51st National Assembly after the first six failed to produce a result. This is how the first session of the new parliament, which began on November 11, continues..

published on 11/28/24 7:40 AM

Experts discuss the future of the real estate market in Sofia

The Real Estate Business Forum "Standards of the Future in Our Living Environment" will bring together experts in Sofia today. The focus of the discussions will be on the real estate market in the Bulgarian capital and the region. An analysis of..

published on 11/28/24 5:15 AM

Sunny weather in most of Bulgaria on Thursday, with fog near rivers

Overnight it will be clear. The wind will die down in most areas. After midnight along the Danube River, in lowlands and near rivers fogs will form and visibility will be reduced with low clouds. Minimum temperatures will be between minus 3°C and 2°C,..

published on 11/27/24 7:25 PM