Russia said on Wednesday it is ready to work with the United Nations (UN) and meet its food and fertilizer export obligations to combat the risks of a global food crisis.
In the statement made by Lavrov’s ministry, it was stated that commitments were made during the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN Secretary General António Guterres.
However, the statement did not reveal any concrete new measures and reiterated Russia’s earlier accusations that Ukraine’s actions and Western sanctions were responsible for the crisis.
Lavrov, “It was emphasized that Ukrainian grain exports were blocked due to Kiev’s mining in the Black Sea.” Said.
“Moreover, it has been confirmed that Russia is ready to fulfill its obligations to export food and fertilizers, although its implementation is significantly complex due to unlawful unilateral sanctions by Western states and the disruption of global production and supply chains due to the pandemic coronavirus”.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has exacerbated a global food crisis, causing higher prices for grain, cooking oil, fuel and fertilizer.
Russia and Ukraine supply almost a third of the world’s wheat supply, while Russia is also a major exporter of fertilizers and Ukraine a major exporter of corn and sunflower oil.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, shipments of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports have stopped, and millions of tons of grain are waiting in silos.
Russia says Western sanctions are making the situation worse. The sanctions do not directly target their grain and fertilizers, but have hit exports due to the difficulty of organizing shipping, insurance and financing.
Lavrov told Guterres that Russia is willing to work harder to reduce the threat of the food crisis, including by coordinating with the UN.
source: Noticias
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