UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday confirmed all parties had agreed to extend the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal aimed at easing a global food crisis after Russia had cast doubt on its continued participation in the agreement.
"I welcome the agreement by all parties to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative to facilitate the safe navigation of export of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizers from Ukraine," Guterres said on Twitter. "The initiative demonstrates the importance of discreet diplomacy in finding multilateral solutions."
The deal, signed in July, had been due to expire on Saturday.
In a tweet, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the deal would be "prolonged for 120 days."
Some context: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday cast doubt on the future of the agreement, saying it depended on existing terms being met. Earlier this month, Russia rejoined the deal after saying it was pulling out.
Ukraine and Russia together account for nearly a third of global wheat exports and the grain deal has played a crucial role in lowering the price of wheat and other commodities globally.