Ukraine has started talks with partners to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Reuters reports.
“Ukraine has started online talks with partners on extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative aimed at ensuring Kyiv can keep shipping grain to global markets,” the agency writes, citing a source in the Ukrainian government.
The source also said that Ukraine had not held talks with Russia, which blockaded Ukrainian ports after its invasion last year. At the same time, Kyiv understands that its partners are talking to Moscow as well.
"The situation with negotiations is rather complicated. Now a lot depends not on us but on the partners," the source said.
The grain initiative was launched by the UN and Turkey in July last year and allowed grain export from three Ukrainian ports. The deal was extended in November and is due to expire on 18 March.
On 1 March, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy announced that Ukraine was negotiating with the UN and Turkey to extend the Grain Corridor. Turkey, in turn, assured that it would make every effort to extend the agreement.
Earlier, the Ministry of Infrastructure reported that Russia continued to artificially impede ship inspections in the Bosphorus and the rate of ships leaving ports had fallen to a critically low level.