Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

No progress on Black Sea grains deal renewal

Moscow may terminate the deal which allows food and fertiliser exports from several Ukrainian Black Sea ports

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kulebaл
Photo: EPA/BGNES

Following the November 11 meeting in Geneva on the grain deal, the UN called on countries around the world to lift barriers to Russian fertilizer exports, BTA reported. UN officials on Friday met with Russia’s deputy foreign minister to discuss the unimpeded export of grain and fertilizers. The negotiations come eight days before the deal brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July is due to be renewed. The accord has helped stave off a global food crisis by allowing the export of food and fertilisers from several of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

Moscow has indicated that it could quit the deal, set to expire on Nov. 19, if no progress is made on its concerns about restrictions on Russian food and fertiliser exports imposed by the West after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The has war caused a spike in prices of basic foodstuffs and sparked fears of a global food crisis. 

"The world cannot afford to let global fertilizer accessibility problems become a global food shortage," UN declared in a statement and called on "all actors to expedite the removal of any remaining impediments to the export and transportation of fertilizers to countries most in need." 

The organisation also managed to unblock a shipment of 20,000 tons of fertilizer in the Netherlands, stuck in the Dutch port of Rotterdam due to EU-imposed sanctions on certain individuals and goods. The shipment will head for Malawi in the coming days under the auspices of the UN's World Food Programme.

Speaking at a news conference in Cambodia on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba noted that Russia remaining part of the deal was insufficient and measures should be taken ensure its inspectors were not intentionally delaying shipments and forcing global prices to rise.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

There are no buyers for Lukoil Neftochim Burgas

There is no declared investor interest from a potential buyer and no negotiations for the sale of "Lukoil Neftochim Burgas". This was what Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov told BNT. Bulgaria guarantees the energy security of the..

published on 10/13/25 10:49 AM

Ukrainian crew rescued from sinking ship in the Black Sea

The crew of a cargo ship sailing under the flag of Cameroon with 10 Ukrainian sailors on board was rescued in an operation led by the Maritime Coordination Center in Varna, its head Rumen Nikolov announced. The ship "EILEEN" sank..

published on 10/13/25 9:43 AM

Prime Minister asks municipalities for support in introduction of the euro

The main political war being waged in Bulgaria is related to the geopolitical orientation of the country in the future. This was what Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said in a speech at the opening of the Annual Meeting of the National Association of..

published on 10/13/25 8:50 AM