The Sunday Mail
RUSSIA will return to the United Nations-brokered grain deal once problems with the export of its products and fertilisers are resolved, the country’s first deputy permanent representative to the UN, Mr Dmitry Polyansky, has said.
“Western countries need to focus on ensuring that Russian grain and fertilisers get to countries in need without hindrance. However, this is not included in the plans of our Western colleagues,” he said in a speech at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
“If all the problems that we have publicly identified, including in this hall, and that have arisen in the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum are eliminated, we will be ready to return to participate in the Black Sea Initiative,” he said.
Mr Polyansky added: “Russia’s share on the world wheat market is 20 percent, the share of Ukraine is less than 5 percent.
“This means that it is Russia that makes a significant contribution to global food security and is a solid, responsible international supplier of agricultural products. Not to mention the exceptional role of Russian fertilisers for global food security.”
Russia pulled out of the United Nations- and Türkiye-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) on July 17, under which Ukrainian grain exports were shipped across the Black Sea to global markets.
Speaking during the plenary session of the recently held Russia-Africa Forum, Russian president Vladimir Putin said his country had originally agreed to participate in the deal on the condition that its terms to remove obstacles in the supply of grain and fertilisers from Russia to world markets would be observed.
But none of these conditions was met.
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Vershinin said the grain deal could be resumed “in a new form”, but this requires concrete action on the part of the West.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has sought to blame Russia for the rise in grain prices since the deal broke down.
In a statement carried in the Sunday Mail Business, EU high representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Mr Josep Borrell Fontelles claimed Russia was “lying” in stating that Western sanctions were hampering its fertiliser and grain exports.
“In response to Russia’s irresponsible actions, the EU is active along three main lines,” he said.
“First, we will continue to support the tireless efforts of the United Nations and Türkiye to resume the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
“Second, we continue to strengthen our “Solidarity Lanes” as alternative routes for Ukrainian agricultural exports to reach global markets through the EU.”
The lanes, he said, have allowed the export of more than 41 million tonnes of Ukraine’s agricultural goods.
“Third, we increased our financial support to countries and people most in need, providing €18 billion to address food security until 2024,” he added.
“We call on the international community and all countries to step up their own assistance in support of global food security.”
Russia donated 50 000 tonnes of grain to six African countries, including Zimbabwe, during the Russia-Africa summit.
Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and the Central African Republic will also receive shipment of the aid, which will be delivered over the next three to four months. — Tass News Agency and Sunday Mail
