WASHINGTON, July 23. /TASS/: The US administration expects the implementation of the agreement on Black Sea grain transportation to proceed without a hitch, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Friday.
"The world’s hungry cannot wait, and we expect the implementation of today’s deal to commence swiftly and proceed without interruption or interference," he said.
"The United States welcomes this deal and commends UN Secretary-General [Antonio] Guterres and Turkish President [Tayyip] Erdogan for their committed diplomatic efforts to mediate these discussions," the US top diplomat added.
He described the agreement as "a positive step towards addressing the far-reaching impacts" of the conflict in Ukraine. In his opinion, the international community should now monitor Russia’s implementation of the deal, including "ending its effective blockade of Ukraine’s ports and ensuring Ukrainian agricultural goods - including grain, oilseeds, and sunflower oil - reach world markets."
"Russia has weaponized food since the beginning of this crisis. An end to Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s agricultural exports through the Black Sea is, therefore, only one of the many steps Russia needs to take to ensure that food from Ukraine makes it to global markets," he said.
A package of documents geared to resolve the problem of food and fertilizer supplies on global markets was signed on July 22 in Istanbul. Under the Russia-UN memorandum, the United Nations undertakes to work toward lifting anti-Russian restrictions hampering exports of agricultural products and fertilizers. Another document envisages a mechanism of exporting grain from Ukraine-controlled Black Sea ports. An agreement between Russia, Turkey and the United Nations provides for the establishment of a quadrilateral coordination center to inspect ships carrying grain to prevent weapons smuggling and rule out provocations.
