Lavrov: unlock Moscow's agricultural exports

"If there is no progress in removing obstacles to Russian exports of fertilizers and grains, we will begin to wonder whether this agreement is really necessary," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the end of a meeting in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Cavusoglu. The agreement to which he referred is the one reached last year, with the active mediation of Turkey, to allow the export of Ukrainian cereals through the Black Sea, despite the ongoing conflict. The agreement was reconfirmed on March 19 for only two months, not without difficulty in convincing Moscow. Formally not affected by international sanctions, Russian agricultural exports are nonetheless experiencing many difficulties due to the restrictive measures on international payments. Some measures have been taken, but they are still not enough for Moscow. Furthermore, according to Lavrov, Ukrainian exports are too unbalanced in favor of rich countries and only a minority part ends up with Africa and developing countries.