WASHINGTON, Nov 3 — The United States on Wednesday welcomed the restoration of a deal allowing safe passage of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, and urged Russia to renew it later this month.

State Department spokesman Ned Price praised UN and Turkish mediators but said it was important that the deal is "not only set back in motion, but it’s renewed later this month.”

"That will ultimately inject even more predictability and stability in this marketplace and, most importantly, apply downward pressure to the prices” of global food, he told reporters.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Turkey for its efforts in a telephone call to Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Blinken in the call also emphasized "reminding Moscow of the importance of continued adherence to UN-brokered agreements and its commitments to support global food security,” a statement said. — AFP