Russian fertilizers and agricultural products must be able to access world markets “unhindered”, at the risk of a world food crisis from 2023, said Saturday in Istanbul the Secretary General of the UN Antonio Guterres.
“ It is important that governments and the private sector work together to get them to market declared Antonio Guteress from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC), which supervises the application of the agreement on the export of Ukrainian cereals signed in July by Kyiv and Moscow under the aegis of the UN and the Turkey. This agreement also guarantees that Russia can export its agricultural products and fertilizers despite Western sanctions.
“ What we see here in Istanbul and Odessa (the transport of Ukrainian cereals, editor’s note) is only the most visible part of the solution. The other part of this comprehensive agreement is unhindered access to world markets for Russian food and fertilizer products, which are not subject to sanctions. “, said the UN Secretary General, stressing that despite this, exports of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products still faced ” obstacles “.
“ Without fertilizer in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023. Getting more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia is key to calming markets […] and lower prices for consumers “, he added.
“ Intensify » Ukrainian grain exports
Antonio Guterres traveled to Ukraine this week, where he met Ukrainian and Turkish Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday in Lviv (west), before traveling to Odessa (south) on Friday. He went earlier on Saturday near the first humanitarian ship chartered by the UN to transport Ukrainian cereals, on the southern shores of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. The Brave Commander, who has for final destination Djiboutihad left the Ukrainian port of Pivdenny in Youzhne on Tuesday with 23,000 tonnes of wheat, before crossing the Bosphorus on Wednesday evening.
So moving to see in Istanbul the @WFP ship Brave Commander loaded with tons of Ukrainian wheat destined for much needed relief hunger in the Horn of Africa. I salute all those involved in this amazing humanitarian operation. pic.twitter.com/MqUuK98sCY
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 20, 2022
The UN Secretary General promised on Thursday that his organization would strive “ to intensify » Ukrainian grain exports before the onset of winter, as these are crucial for the food supply of many African countries. Under the agreement signed in July, 650,000 tons of Ukrainian grain and agricultural products have left the Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny since August 1.
Ships must use a secure corridor to circulate in the Black Sea and then be inspected by the Joint Coordination Center (CCC) before being authorized to cross the Bosphorus Strait. Grain exports from Ukraine, one of the world’s leading producers and exporters, have been blocked for several months due to the Russian invasion, raising fears of a global food crisis.
►Also read: The first Ukrainian grain cargo ship has finally docked
(With AFP)