Report: Moscow, partners consider grain deal alternatives

ANKARA, Aug 16 (PRIME) -- Moscow and its partners and is actively studying alternatives to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Alexei Yerkhov said on Wednesday, as cited by newspaper Star.

"The Black Sea Initiative is no silver bullet to satisfy the need of African and other states for food,” the official said.

“There are alternatives, they are actively considered by our partners."

He also told channel TGRT Haber that Russia is ready for dialogue with the Turkish partners on the grain deal and will resume its fulfillment once the legal requirements are met. Moscow sees no alternatives to reconnection of Russian Agricultural Bank to messenger SWIFT, this is why it turned down a U.N. alternative offer, Yerkhov told newswire Ihlas.

"If our legal requirements are fulfilled, we will be able to speak about resumption of the Black Sea Initiative," the ambassador said.

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