Lavrov urges UN to help ease Russian food and fertiliser exports under grain deal

On Thursday, Moscow pleaded with the United Nations, which sponsored a deal to release Ukraine's grain supplies from a Russian blockade of its Black Sea ports, to assist in carrying out the accord's provisions aimed at easing Russia's food and fertiliser exports.

Following a four-day hiatus, Russia rejoined the programme on Wednesday, releasing pressure on food prices and allaying concerns about a potential new global food crisis.

Moscow has made it clear that it does not believe enough has been done to ensure that it can export its own enormous food and fertiliser output despite the barrage of Western sanctions imposed in reaction to its invasion of Ukraine. The agreement is set to expire on November 19.

"We still do not see any results regarding a second aspect: the removal of obstacles to the export of Russian fertilisers and grain," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Amman, Jordan.

"We have once again called on the United Nations Secretary-General to ensure that he fulfils the obligations he agreed to through his own initiative," Lavrov added. He said the situation needed to be resolved "in the very near future".

"If we're talking about the volumes of fertilisers and grain in question, then these volumes from the Russian side are incomparably higher than from the Ukrainian side."

Although Russian agricultural exports are not specifically targeted by sanctions imposed by the US, EU, and other parties, Moscow claims they are severely hampered by the limitations placed on its financial, logistics, and insurance sectors.

Moscow has not expressly committed to prolonging the initiative, which was mediated by Turkey and the United Nations, and was agreed upon in July for a 120-day period.

Russia had halted its participation following an attack on its Sevastopol naval port in the Crimea, but on Wednesday it rejoined the agreement after receiving little in return and pledging that even if it withdrew once more, it would not obstruct Ukrainian exports to Turkey.

(with inputs from agencies)