UNCTAD head says hopes for Russian Ag Bank issue resolution

U.N./ISTANBUL, Jul 12 (PRIME) -- Secretary General of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan expressed on Wednesday hope that problems with connection of Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT in the framework of the grain deal would be solved.

She said at a briefing that the U.N. had developed an alternative solution to disconnection of Russian Agricultural Bank from the messaging system that would only support transactions on fertilizer deals.

Grynspan said she would unlikely visit Moscow to discuss grain deal prolongation this week.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the country continued negotiations to prolong the deal expiring on July 17 and was studying Russia's proposals.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said earlier that Moscow would pursue ending the deal, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that there were no arguments in favor of prolonging the deal, because Russia's conditions were not met.

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