CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th July, 2023) If the Black Sea Grain Initiative (commonly known as the grain deal) is not extended, it will not affect Egypt since the country is in the process of diversifying the sources of wheat imports, Nomani Nasr Nomani, an advisor to Egypt's supply and trade minister, told Sputnik.
"The state will not be affected by the non-extension of the grain deal, because it has already received the last two batches of Ukrainian wheat," Nomani said, adding that Russia continues to cooperate with Egypt in the field of exports and "is doing its part in solving all the problems that arise."
The advisor specified that Egypt's policy is to increase its wheat reserves through the diversification of wheat sources and domestic production. Nomani stressed that Egypt is a major importer of Russian wheat.
Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations struck a deal to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports on July 22, 2022. Moscow has since agreed to several extensions to the grain deal, which is now due to expire on July 17, but complained that the obligations toward Russia have not been fulfilled.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia might suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative until obligations toward Moscow are fulfilled. Later in the week, in a phone call with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, Putin said that the main objective of the grain deal, namely to supply grain to countries in need, including the ones in Africa, has not been achieved.
