UN chief to discuss grain deal with Kyiv and Moscow at G20 summit
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Photo:REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes to meet with Ukrainian and Russian delegations at the G20 summit to extend the grain deal that lifted the Russian blockade of three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, CNN reported on Nov. 14.
During a briefing at the G20 summit in Bali, Guterres said that during the summit he would meet with both Russian and Ukrainian delegations and "remove the last obstacles" that prevent the extension of the deal, dubbed the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The current deal is set to expire on Nov. 22. It was expected that it would be extended beyond that date.
Guterres said that the UN is "working non-stop" to extend the grain deal and is trying to resolve all problems with the agreement. He added that the UN-mediated grain initiative helps "stabilize markets and bring food prices down."
Ukraine, Turkey and the UN signed on July 22 in Istanbul an agreement on the lifting of the Russian naval blockade of the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi for the export of Ukrainian grain.
Russia also signed a mirror agreement with Turkey and the UN. There is no direct agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
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