UN Secretary General António Guterres will pay an official visit to Ukraine to discuss the Istanbul grain deal, the UN press service has reported.

"The Secretary-General has just arrived in Poland on his way to Ukraine. On Wednesday morning he will meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to discuss the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in all its aspects, as well as other pertinent issues," the message says.

This is the Secretary-General's third visit to Ukraine in the last year.

As reported, the grain deal was concluded in Istanbul on July 22, 2022. With the participation of the UN, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, two documents were signed – on the creation of a corridor for the export of grain from three Ukrainian ports (Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdenny), as well as on the removal of barriers to the export of Russian food and fertilizers.

The deal expires March 18. The UN Secretary General had previously expressed hope for its extension.