“Unfortunately, the Istanbul package signed on July 22, 2022 is still being implemented only in terms of Ukrainian food exports. The part of the package regarding Russian ammonia is not valid. Now the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline has also been blown up,” Lavrov said at the 46th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).
He said there is still no progress in the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum, designed to ensure the real exemption from illegal unilateral Western sanctions for Russian agricultural products and fertilizers.
"I have to state again: if the 'Istanbul package' does not work, as it was initiated by the UN Secretary General, by July 17, then there can be no talk of any further extension," Lavrov said.
Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN reached an agreement on July 22, 2022 to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships carrying food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. On May 18, 2023, Russia extended the deal, called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, for 60 days, until July 17.
The deal is an integral part of a package agreement. The second part - the Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years - envisions the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers, the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT, the resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services, the restoration of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and a number of other measures. Moscow says this part of the package agreement has not been implemented yet.