Ukraine says Russia again blocking Black Sea grain export deal
Corrects to show that Pivdennyi is included in the Black Sea grain deal, paragraph 9
By Pavel Polityuk
KYIV, June 1 (Reuters) -Ukraine's ministry of renovation and infrastructure said on Thursday the U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain export deal had been halted again because Russia had blocked registration of ships to all Ukrainian ports.
The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Moscow and Kyiv last July to help tackle a global food crisis aggravated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a leading global grain exporter.
Russia agreed in May to a two-month extension of the deal but has said the initiative will cease unless an agreement aimed at overcoming obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports is fulfilled.
"The Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul (which oversees the initiative) has announced that it is impossible to draw up an inspection plan for June 1 due to another unjustified refusal of the Russian delegation to register the incoming fleet for participation in the Initiative," the Ukrainian ministry said on Facebook.
It said Russia had registered only one incoming ship for inspection in the last two days of May and had given no explanation for the move, which the ministry said was a "gross violation" of the initiative.
Russia did not immediately comment on the ministry's statement.
Ukrainian officials have said that since mid-April, Russia has "unreasonably restricted" the work of the Black Sea grain deal.
It said 50 vessels are waiting for inspection in Turkish territorial waters and that they were ready to deliver 2.4 million tonnes of Ukrainian food abroad. Some vessels had been waiting for inspections for more than 3 months.
The ministry also criticised what it said was Russia's blocking of Odesa's largest port, Pivdennyi, one of three ports included in the U.N.-brokered initiative.
Russia has previously denied any wrongdoing but has urged all parties to the grain deal to unblock the transit of Russian ammonia so that it can be exported via a pipeline that goes from Russia through Ukrainian territory to Pivdennyi.
A senior government source has told Reuters that Kyiv would consider allowing Russian ammonia to transit its territory for export on condition that the Black Sea grain deal is expanded to include more Ukrainian ports and a wider range of commodities.
Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
