#Russia does not guarantee that mine clearance from #Ukrainian ports will not be exploited

MOSCOW - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that Moscow would not "take advantage" of mine clearance and the opening of Ukrainian ports as part of a UN-brokered deal to resume vital grain exports.

"Conditions exist for the implementation of the agreement on grain in the coming days," Shoigu told the state TV channel Rossiya 24.

He added: "Russia has taken upon itself the obligations clearly stipulated in this document," stressing that Moscow "will not take advantage of the fact that the ports will be cleared and opened. We have pledged to do so."

On Friday in Istanbul, Ukraine and Russia signed two separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations on the export of grain and agricultural products through the Black Sea.
Two ministers from the two countries signed the agreement separately, carefully avoiding sitting at the same table or shaking hands during the ceremony.

Kyiv and Moscow are among the world's largest food exporters. Grain exports witnessed a significant decline immediately after the start of the war between the two countries.

The halt in grain exports has caused prices to rise sharply, and today's deal should ease the global food crisis.