


“The focus has been on what matters most for the people of our world. “The question has not been what is good for one side or the other,” he said. He commended the Russian and Ukrainian representatives for putting aside their differences in the common interests of humanity. Guterres thanked President Erdogan and his government for facilitating the talks that led to the deal. “Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea,” the UN chief said, speaking prior to the signing. “ A beacon of hope – a beacon of possibility – a beacon of relief - in a world that needs it more than ever.” Russian and Ukrainian Ministers signed the Black Sea Grain Initiative, facing each other at opposite ends of the table, while the Secretary-General and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sat in the centre.
