Source: Turkey, UN get no response from Russia on grain deal

MOSCOW/ANKARA/ISTANBUL, Jul 17 (PRIME) -- Ankara and the U.N. have received no response to a letter by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning prolongation of the grain deal, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told PRIME on July 15.

"No, we have received no response so far. We hope for a positive outcome," the source said.

Newspaper Aydinlik reported that as of Monday morning, Turkey and the U.N. were still trying to convince Moscow to prolong the deal expiring at the date. According to Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Ankara was making all possible efforts.

Guterres sent a letter to Putin on July 12 with proposals aimed at prolongation of the grain deal, including resolution of Russian Agricultural Bank's disconnection from SWIFT.

Putin said last week that Russia was considering suspending participation in the deal and returning when its conditions are met. Russia still had a couple of days to think about prolongation of the initiative, he said.

The U.N. coordination center said in a statement on July 15 that it acknowledged that the poorest countries recieved only 10% of the corn shipped in the framework of the deal and 40% of the wheat. No ship with Russian fertilizers departed, while exports in general depend on the situation with the Tolyatti–Odessa ammonia pipeline, which is unknown.

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