Black Sea grain deal 'vital tool' to combat food insecurity, stabilize prices: US

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) – The Black Sea grain deal is a crucial instrument for addressing food insecurity and achieving price stability, the US State Department said Thursday.

Speaking at a press briefing, deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said the deal has moved 28 million tons of food onto the global market over nine months.

"The US strongly supports the efforts of UN Secretary-General (Antonio) Guterres in partnership with Turkey to extend and expand this life-saving initiative," said Patel.

"Black Sea Grain Initiative is a vital tool to combat global food insecurity and stabilize food prices," he said.

The spokesman also voiced concern over "Russia's recent actions to obstruct the Black Sea Grain Initiative operations, twice in the last two weeks."

He said the Russian delegation at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul has prevented the continued inspection of ships seeking to sail into Ukraine ports to collect grain.

"Now Russian representatives are threatening the safety of commercial ships participating in the initiative," he said. "Russia's obstruction of these operations harms global food security by delaying shipments restricting supplies, and keeping prices high for food importing countries."

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.