Top Russian, Pakistani diplomats discuss revival of Black Sea grain deal

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Russia on Wednesday discussed the Black Sea grain deal, with Islamabad hoping all stakeholders engaging in dialogue to restore the agreement.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari telephoned his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss the impact of the suspension of the deal, officially known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, on global food supply chain, and food security-related challenges for the developing world in particular, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Zardari underscored the need for concerted efforts to find viable solutions that would in particular benefit developing countries already under economic strain," it added.

He reiterated Pakistan’s support for international efforts for restoring the deal "by addressing the concerns of all sides."

In a tweet, Zardari said he had a "Good exchange on bilateral and other matters" with Lavrov, adding: "Also discussed expiry of BSGI & disruption of global supply chains that would put more pressure on dev countries. Emphasized Pakistan’s engagement with stakeholders & desire to find a solution."

The discussion came after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's visit to Islamabad last week.

The accord was brokered in Istanbul in July 2022 by Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye and the UN, creating a safe corridor through the Black Sea for exports from three Ukrainian ports halted since the war began in February of that year.

It helped rein in spiraling prices and ease a global food crisis by restoring the flow of wheat, sunflower oil, fertilizer and other products from Ukraine -- one of the largest grain exporters in the world.

Moscow last week refused to extend the agreement beyond July 17, saying parts related to its demands have “not been implemented so far,” referring to the removal of obstacles to its fertilizer exports, including the inclusion of the state-owned Russian Agricultural Bank in the SWIFT international payment system.