KIEV, Oct. 14 – A statement by Russian Grain Union President Arkadiy Zlochevsky about Ukraine's abandoning talks on the creation of a pool of grain exporting countries in the Black Sea region is untrue, according to Agriculture Minister Yuriy Melnyk.

"I'm surprised by such statements, as we have not dropped out of the talks. On the contrary, we're ready for further dialog," he said.

Melnyk said that during negotiations with his Russian counterpart Yelena Skrynnik in Moscow in September, he told her that the idea of creating a grain pool on mutually beneficiation conditions for all its participants was sensible.