Guarantee negotiations continue from Western countries on the return of Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT

ANKARA, 5 May – RIA Novosti. A source familiar with the grain deal negotiations told RIA Novosti that the issue of obtaining guarantees from Western countries for Rosselkhozbank’s return to the SWIFT system is on the agenda and negotiations are ongoing.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense said earlier that a meeting at the level of technical delegations to discuss the grain deal will be held in Istanbul on Friday. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Russia’s Ziraat Bank’s return to the SWIFT system is on the agenda and discussions are continuing on this issue.

Mediation by a Turkish bank is also a discussed option, according to the source.

However, even here, as we have said before, the Turkish bank must be assured that we will not face sanctions tomorrow.”

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed by the representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN on July 22, 2022, includes the export of grain, food and fertilizer to the Black Sea from Ukraine’s three ports, including Odessa. The coordination of ship traffic is carried out by the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out in September that the West exports most of Ukrainian grain to their own states, not to needy countries in Africa. Russia extended the agreement for 60 days from March 18, 2023 – until May 18, Ukraine insists that the agreement was extended by 120 days.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative is an integral part of the package deal. The second part – the Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years – aims to unblock Russia’s food and fertilizer exports, reconnect Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, resumption of the supply of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services, the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and a a number of other measures. As stated in Moscow, this part of the package deal has not yet been implemented.