The Kremlin said on Friday that work was underway to address a number of Russian concerns regarding the Black Sea grain initiative, which is due to expire on Nov. 19.
Speaking as delegates from Russia and the United Nations were due to meet in Geneva to discuss a possible extension to the deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was a "reciprocal understanding" about Russia's calls for the West to remove "obstacles" to its own fertilisers and grain exports.
"Negotiations and contacts are continuing," Peskov told reporters.
"It is necessary to resolve a number of issues related to a well-known part of the so-called grain deal that concern us. Here there is mutual understanding on the part of our counterparts in the United Nations, so work is underway."
Russia's agricultural exports have not been explicitly targeted by Western sanctions, but Moscow says blocks on Russia's payments, logistics and insurance industries were a "barrier" to Russia being able to export its own grains and fertilisers.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
