by Mark Trevelyan (Reuters) – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that the West was not honoring its promise to help Russian food and fertilizer exports reach global markets, raising potential questions about Russia’s commitment to a landmark grain deal struck with Ukraine.
Lavrov said the West had not relaxed sanctions to make it easier for Russia to ship its agricultural products abroad. Moscow saw the commitment as a key part of a July deal brokered by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Turkey to end a blockade on Ukraine’s grain exports from its southern ports and ease a looming global food crisis.
“Our Western colleagues are not doing what we were promised by the U.N. Secretary-General,” Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow.
Also Read: Could The Ukraine Grain Deal With Russia Fail?
“They are not taking decisions to remove the logistic sanctions that prevent the free access of Russian grain and fertilisers to world markets.”
Moscow says Western sanctions make it harder to arrange shipping and insurance of its cargoes, even though they do not directly target its food and fertiliser exports.
Lavrov said he was in contact with the U.N. and was pressuring the world body to ensure Western countries upheld their end of the grain deal.
The agreement remains the only significant diplomatic breakthrough in the six-month war launched by Russia against Ukraine.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
Russia’s Arctic liquefied natural gas plant appears to have flared fuel last week, satellite images show, a move that could indicate the restart of a sanctioned export facility that has effectively been shuttered since last October.
The US said Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea and to work out mechanisms for implementing their ban on strikes against energy infrastructure.
CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. warned of a deteriorating global business environment due to geopolitical and trade tensions, as the Hong Kong conglomerate reported weaker-than-expected profit while a ports sale plan faces uncertainty after infuriating Beijing.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
