UN Secretary-General urges to preserve grain deal in full

The United Nations is working to ensure that all agreements signed as part of the Black Sea grain deal, including the memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN, are functioning, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq has said.

"The Secretary-General calls on the parties to accelerate operations and urges them to do their utmost to ensure the continuation of this vital agreement," the statement reads.

It was also noted that the UN aims to implement the memorandum of understanding on food exports.

"The UN is fully committed to supporting the implementation of both the Black Sea Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding on Russian food and fertilizer exports," the spokesperson added.

The deal will expire on July 17, 2023. It has previously been extended several times since July 2022. The last time the grain deal has been extended for two more months on May 18.