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Russian Ambassador to Turkey: Latvia, Estonia and Belgium keep Russian agricultural products in ports

Latvia, Estonia and Belgium continue to withhold Russian agricultural products in ports, while the resumption of ammonia supplies is blocked by the Ukrainian side, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Alexei Yerkhov said.

The grain deal, signed last July 22 by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations, called for Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizers to be shipped out through the Black Sea from three ports. The contract expired on November 18 and implied an automatic extension for 120 days in the absence of objections from the parties. The deal was part of a package deal that, among other things, provided for unblocking Russian exports of food and fertilizers. Moscow noted that this condition has not been met. The UN assured that the restrictions would be lifted.

“There are delays even in the free transfer of Russian fertilizers to poor countries. A small part of the shipment was sent from the Netherlands to Malawi. Latvia, Estonia and Belgium continue to hold our products at the ports. The transfer of ammonia feedstock for fertilizer production from the Yuzhny port has not started. The resumption of ammonia supplies is blocked only and exclusively by Kyiv”, – the Yeni Şafak newspaper quoted the diplomat as saying.

According to Yerkhov, “we are talking about 2.5 million tons of raw materials per year, which is enough to produce seven million tons of fertilizer to feed 200 million people.

“All this shows who is speculating on the needs of African, Asian and Latin American countries for greedy purposes,” the ambassador stressed.

Earlier, Radio Sputnik reported on the appointment of a new UN coordinator for the grain deal.