'Good offices remain available' to support US-backed Black Sea efforts: UN chief

HAMILTON, Canada

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday his "good offices remain available to support all efforts towards peace" following US-led discussions on the Black Sea.

Guterres "welcomes the discussions and reported commitments reached in Saudi Arabia by the United States, the Russian Federation and Ukraine," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

"Reaching an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure will be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains," he said, underscoring the importance of trade routes from Ukraine and Russia.

The statement noted the UN's "consistent" work on the issue, particularly after Guterres sent letters to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Feb. 7, proposing a plan for "safe and free navigation in the Black Sea," the statement said.

The UN remains "closely engaged" in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding with Russia to facilitate access to Russian food and fertilizers to global markets to address food security, it said.

Guterres hopes efforts would "pave the way for a durable ceasefire and contribute to achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in Ukraine," in line with the UN Charter and international law.

The White House said Tuesday that Russia and the US agreed to "ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea" following talks in Saudi Arabia.

It said the US would help restore Russia’s access to world markets for agriculture and fertilizer exports, and both countries agreed to develop measures to ban strikes on energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine.

Türkiye first hosted a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in March 2022.

Those efforts led to the landmark Black Sea grain deal in 2022, but Moscow did not extend the agreement beyond July 2023, citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.