Lavrov slams Guterres' proposals to revive Black Sea grain deal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has critizised proposals made by UN Secretary General António Guterres to revive an agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea as "unrealistic."

Reading the letter gives the impression that Guterres is being exploited by an interested party, Lavrov said on Sunday in New Delhi on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

He was referring to the letter in which the UN chief suggests reinstating the agreement revoked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who complained that sanctions were preventing the export of his nation's goods.

In a letter seen by dpa on Friday, Guterres suggested to Lavrov that Moscow could be reconnected to the international payments system SWIFT with the creation of a subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank for certain payments.

Lavrov complained that Guterres was proposing connecting a branch of the Russian state-owned agricultural bank in Luxembourg to SWIFT.

"But this branch has no licence for banking operations ... [and] will be closed," Lavrov said.

He also said that the envisaged integration of the insurance carrier Lloyd's left questions unanswered.

Lavrov reiterated that Russia was ready to reinstate the agreement if its demands were met.

Among other things, Moscow is demanding that the agricultural bank itself be connected to SWIFT and that other Western sanctions imposed on Russia also be eased.

Guterres' letter includes three further proposals to facilitate Russian exports. It also talks about unfreezing frozen assets of fertilizer companies in Europe and allowing Russian ships to enter European ports, indirectly revealing that the UN is working with the EU to bring about these concessions.