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UNSG praised renewal of grain deal

  UNITED NATIONS - Secretary General António Guterres on Thursday praised the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative deal which had been due to expire on Saturday, according to a statement issued by UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq in New York.

The statement said that over 11.1 million tonnes of essential foodstuffs have been shipped as part of the agreement brokered between ürkiye, Ukraine, Russia and the UN since it was signed on 22 July.

Mr. Guterres was speaking in Cairo after he took part in G20 summit in Bali and was enroute to COP 27 summit he said in a video tweet that he was “deeply moved” and grateful that an agreement had been reached in Istanbul, the statement noted.

He expressed his deep commitment to remove the “remaining obstacles to the unimpeded exports of Russian food and fertilizers”, as these remain “essential” to avoid a food crisis next year, the statement noted.

Guterres praised the role of Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, noted that Istanbul has become an “essential centre for discreet diplomacy to solve dramatic problems”.

He expressed deep gratitude to the Turks for their generosity and “very effective commitment”.

Secretary General in a separate statement insisted that the UN remained “fully committed” to supporting the initiative’s Joint Coordination Centre which oversees ship movements to and from Ukraine, “so that this vital supply line continues to function smoothly”.

Guterres stated both agreements signed three months ago “are essential to bring down the prices of food and fertilizer and avoid a global food crisis, the statement said

It added that “The Black Sea Grain Initiative continues to demonstrate the importance of discreet diplomacy in the context of finding multilateral solutions.”
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