Russia's Lavrov: I have not heard new proposals on Black Sea grain deal

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with Russia at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, 13 July 2023. ADI WEDA/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that he had not heard of any new proposals on the Black Sea grain deal which expires next week but was working with Turkey on ways to ensure Russian grain exports regardless of any deal.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed to President Vladimir Putin that he extend the deal in return for connecting a subsidiary of Russia's agricultural bank to the SWIFT international payment system, sources told Reuters.