Antonio Guterres calls for the lifting of “barriers” to the export of Russian agricultural products


Russian fertilizers and agricultural products must be able to access world markets “unhindered”, at the risk of a world food crisis as early as next year, said Saturday in Istanbul the Secretary General of the UN Antonio Guterres.

“It is important that governments and the private sector cooperate to get them to market,” he said from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC), which oversees the application of the export agreement. of Ukrainian cereals signed in July by kyiv and Moscow under the aegis of the UN and Turkey. This agreement also guarantees that Russia can export its agricultural products and fertilizers despite Western sanctions.

“Lower prices for consumers”

“What we see here in Istanbul and Odessa (the transport of Ukrainian grain, 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. Russian foodstuffs and fertilizers, which are not subject to sanctions,” said Antonio Guterres, stressing that despite this, exports of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products still encountered “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 driving down prices for consumers,” he said again.

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.

“Intensify” Ukrainian grain exports

The UN secretary-general promised on Thursday that his organization would work to “intensify” Ukrainian grain exports before the onset of winter, which is crucial for the food supply of many countries in the world. ‘Africa. Under the agreement signed in July, 650,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain and agricultural products have left the Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny since August 1.

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.



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