Russia's agricultural bank (Rosselkhozbank) should be reconnected to SWIFT, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said in an interview on Rossiya-24 television news channel, adding that interim solutions have no effect and will not help solve the problem.
“It is necessary to connect Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT systemto remove the sanctions and thus make transactions only with agricultural products and fertilizers smooth. These simple things became clearer with each round of consultations we held throughout the year. For this reason, "intermediate solutions do not lead to decisions, they do not provide a path that leads us to solving the problem," he said, commenting on the possibility of connecting the Luxembourg-based subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT.
“The results presented to us are very important to us, not just promises to do something. When these results are available, the resumption of the Black Sea Initiative will be possible immediately, as Russian President [Vladimir Putin] has said,” Vershinin noted.
The Black Sea Initiative Grain Agreement was a series of agreements reached in Istanbul in July 2022 to ensure a safe corridor for ships carrying Ukrainian grain and Russian agricultural exports. After several extensions, it was terminated on July 18 at Russia's initiative, when Moscow notified Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations of its objections to a further extension of the agreement. Putin previously noted that the agreement's Russia-related provisions were never implemented despite United Nations efforts and that the majority of Ukraine's grain exports went to wealthy Western countries, contrary to the agreement's original intent to supply grain to those countries in need , especially in Africa. Nevertheless, Moscow has said it stands ready to immediately resume the grain deal once its Russia-related provisions are implemented.
ТАСС September 14, 2023, 2:19 p.m. MSK
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