TORONTO

The UN is "concerned about the continuous slowdown of the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.

Emphasizing the slowdown in the months of April and May, Dujarric said that 33 ships have left Ukrainian ports in May, which is half compared to the month of April.

"The Russian Federation has informed the JCC [Joint Coordination Centre] of its decision to limit registrations to the port of Yuzhny/Pivdennyi as long as ammonia is not exported," said Dujarric.

He stated that exports have also diminished by half compared to the previous month.

"The UN Secretariat has put forward practical suggestions to all parties at the strategic and operational level, keeping in mind the global benefits of the Initiative," he said.

Black Sea Grain Initiative

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine initially signed the agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were halted after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

The deal has been extended three times since it was first signed initially for 120 days. It was first extended in November 2022 and then in March.