PUTIN AND UN CHIEF DISCUSSED EXPANDING BLACK SEA EXPORTS

Wed 14 September 2022:

A recent agreement that allowed for grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports was recently expanded, according to statements made on Wednesday by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed in July to address a global food crisis, Putin threatened to impose restrictions on it. More than 120 ships have transported over 2.5 million tons of agricultural products through the grain corridor since the first ship sailed under the agreement on August 1.

The Russian president has accused Europe of taking nearly all of the foodstuffs being exported, though the UN has said about 30% has flown to low and lower-middle income countries, including two ships chartered by the World Food Program for the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

A third ship chartered by the organization is being loaded to go to Djibouti while a fourth will be arriving to go to Afghanistan.

Guterres said that during his call with Putin Wednesday morning, the leaders discussed increasing the deal’s scope, including having it cover Russian fertilizer exports via the same channel.

“In 2022, we have no lack of foods, we have a problem of distribution,” he told reporters at the UN’s New York headquarters. “If we don’t normalize the fertilizer markets, we will have a problem in 2023.”

Guterres said that there are already reports from West Africa and other parts of the world that this year’s crop cultivation is less than in 2021, saying that is “the reason why I strongly appeal to remove all obstacles to the exports of Russian fertilizers that are not, I repeat that are not, subject to sanctions.”

In retaliation for Russia’s ongoing, seven-month war against Ukraine, the US and its allies have imposed a wide range of sanctions on the country. Washington, however, has insisted time and time again that its economic sanctions have no impact on Russian fertilizer exports.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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