Moscow. March 20. INTERFAX - Russia will suspend participation in the "grain deal" on May 18 in the absence of progress in the implementation of the Russian part of this agreement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
"The further decision on the extension of the initiative will depend on progress in the implementation of the following conditions in the context of the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum: reconnection of Rosselkhoznadzor to SWIFT; resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts and service; lifting of restrictions on insurance and reinsurance plus lifting of the ban on access to ports; restoration of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline; unblocking of foreign assets and accounts of Russian companies related to the production and transportation of food and fertilizers," reads a statement published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Smolenskaya Square noted that "without progress in fulfilling these requirements, which are absolutely not new and should have been resolved within the framework of the Russia-UN Memorandum, our participation in the Black Sea Initiative will be suspended."
The Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that "on March 18, the second 120-day validity period of the Black Sea initiative for the export of Ukrainian food expired."
"Due to the lack of progress in the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum on the normalization of domestic agricultural exports, Moscow decided to reduce the period of the next extension to 60 days, that is, until May 18," the message says.
