3 Gulf countries hail Türkiye, UN's efforts in securing grain deal’s extension

ISTANBUL

Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Thursday hailed the efforts of Türkiye and the UN in securing the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for another 120 days.

In a statement, Qatar's Foreign Ministry welcomed the extension of the agreement for the export of grain from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

Hoping the grain shipments will alleviate the food crisis in the world, the statement said that as Qatar, they appreciated all the efforts made by the UN and Türkiye in this process.

In addition, the UAE Foreign Ministry in a statement also expressed its satisfaction with the extension of the agreement.

Praising the "intense efforts" of Türkiye and the UN, the statement underlined that the four-month period which paved the way for the export of grain products from Ukraine and Russia via the Black Sea would help eliminate the food deficits in the world.

Appreciating Türkiye and the UN's efforts, Bahrain's Foreign Ministry said the extension of the grain agreement would contribute to easing the burden of countries that have problems with foodstuffs.

The extension of the landmark deal starts on Saturday, the day it had been due to expire.

On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which had been paused in February due to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The parties were negotiating a possible extension and expansion beyond its Nov. 19 deadline.

More than 10 million tons of grain have been exported from Ukraine since Aug. 1, according to the UN.