ISTANBUL: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday welcomed the extension of an agreement allowing Ukraine to export grain.

“I welcome the agreement by all parties to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative to facilitate the safe navigation of export of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizers from Ukraine,” Guterres said in a statement, shared by the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center (JCC) that has been overseeing the agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN.

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“The United Nations is also fully committed to removing the remaining obstacles to exporting food and fertilizers from the Russian Federation,” he said.