UN-Russia agricultural export memorandum will not be extended

The memorandum that was signed in 2022 between Russia and the United Nations (UN) regarding the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers will not be renewed after July 22 of this year, as stated by Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin on Saturday.

On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement indicating that the ongoing rise in unilateral sanctions imposed by the West, particularly the European Union (EU), has hindered the full implementation of the memorandum.

The statement highlighted that the two delegations, led by Vershinin and UN Secretary-General for Trade and Development Rebeca Grynspan, conducted the final round of discussions on the memorandum's implementation in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the memorandum, which was signed on July 22, 2022, is set to last for three years.

The purpose of the memorandum was to guarantee the unobstructed access of Russian grain and fertilizers to the global market; however, the five systematic tasks outlined for its implementation have not been fully addressed, as noted by the ministry.

Vershinin expressed Russia's dissatisfaction with how the memorandum has been executed, stating that the objectives outlined in the document remain unfulfilled due to the intentional hindrance by Western nations.

He added that the West has imposed insurance, logistics, and payment obstacles through sanctions, leading to a systematic blockade of Russia's grain and fertilizer export routes as per the memorandum.

In July 2022, Russia and Ukraine signed the Black Sea Grain Initiative in Istanbul with Türkiye and the United Nations, which permits Ukraine to export its grain and other agricultural products from its Black Sea ports.

On the same day, Russia also entered into a memorandum with the UN concerning the export of its agricultural products.

Moscow declared on July 17, 2023, that it would not extend the Black Sea grain deal.