UN Secretary-General says obstacles to exports in grain deal persist

The UN is making efforts to better respond to Russia's concerns over the grain deal, but indirect obstacles to food and fertilizer exports remain.

The organization's Secretary-General António Guterres made the remarks in an interview published on May 9 in the Spanish newspaper El Pais, TASS reports.

"We are fully involved to try to preserve the initiative," he assured. - "We are preparing a meeting of the four sides [Russia, Ukraine, the UN and Türkiye - TASS note] in Istanbul and we are doing everything we can to respond better to Russia's problems.

"It is true that the export of food and fertilizers is not under sanctions, but there are indirect obstacles that remain, and we are trying to remove them, as well as to solve the problems that exist with the inspections that are suspended in the Black Sea," the UN Secretary-General specified. "It's about getting a longer and better continuation of the initiative," he added.