UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in February sent letters to the presidents of Russia, Türkiye and Ukraine with proposals to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, UN chief’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric told TASS.

"We continue our discussions with all parties to keep trade open, the food flowing and ships safe. In that vein, earlier in February the Secretary-General sent letters to the Presidents of the Russian Federation, Türkiye and Ukraine," the spokesman said. He pointed out that in the letters, Guterres emphasized that "freedom of civilian navigation remains the overarching aim of the ongoing UN efforts," and that "food and trade routes must be safe, sustainable and predictable."

Dujarric stressed that in light of the lessons learned from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, "the UN continues its active engagement with the Russian Federation, Türkiye, Ukraine and other relevant parties with the objective of further mitigating risks to commercial shipping in the Black Sea."

On Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin commented on Türkiye's Black Sea navigation initiative, pointing out that it was not related to the grain deal. Erdogan earlier said that it was necessary to conclude an agreement to ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea. According to him, contacts are underway in cooperation with the UN to work out a new regulation that would include obligations to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.