MOSCOW: The Kremlin said Friday it was “very important” to unblock grain exports as Kyiv and Moscow were set to sign a deal to help relieve a global food crisis.
“It is very important to unblock supplies of fertilisers, foodstuffs and grain to the world markets,“ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“It is a relatively small amount of Ukrainian grain, but still it is very important that this grain gets to world markets.”
Later Friday Kyiv and Moscow are set to sign a deal in Istanbul to resume Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports, even as Russian forces launch new artillery barrages over eastern Ukraine.
The first major accord between the warring sides has been brokered with the UN and Turkey.
Peskov said that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu will represent Moscow in Istanbul.
He confirmed the planned signing of the deal but declined to comment further.
“If things take place there, then there will explanations,“ he said.
On a visit to Tehran earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West must remove restrictions on exports of Russian grain if it wanted Moscow to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain.
Russia's military intervention in Ukraine has hampered shipments from one of the world's biggest exporters of wheat and other grain, sparking fears of global food shortages. - AFP
