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Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's reply to a media question in connection with the statements by the President of the Brazzaville Foundation NGO on food security problems

26 May 2023 21:24
1027-26-05-2023

Question: The interest in the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative does not abate. The deal provides for the supplies of Ukrainian grain and Russian fertilisers to the world market. Western capitals are trying to assure the developing nations, especially Africans, that the threat of famine and shortage of fertilisers are linked with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Recently, President of the Brazzaville Foundation NGO Jean-Yves Ollivier made a statement to this effect. How would you comment on this?

Maria Zakharova: I see there is a need to recall how matters stand in reality.

The implementation of the Black Sea Initiative as part of the interconnected Istanbul agreements of July 22, 2022 is accompanied by serious distortions. A large part of Ukrainian grain (over 30 million tonnes) exported since August 2022, was delivered to the well-fed industrialised countries, primarily to the EU. A mere 2.5 percent of this grain went to the poorest African states with the UN World Food Programme's assistance.

Today, Russian representatives in the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Centre are literally fighting to include bulk carriers bound for Africa into the Black Sea Initiative. On the contrary, Ukrainian official are insisting on priority registration of the biggest vessels in a bid to gain maximum profits. They have no interest in the starving Africans.

Nor do they care about supplies of ammonia to Africa for the production of fertilisers badly needed by tens of millions of African households. Russia is ready to launch the Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline without any delay, within a matter of days, but Kiev has been impeding this by adding more and more preconditions for almost a year.

Those who know the real situation understand that Kiev, fully supported by Washington and its allies, does not care one bit about ensuring food security and countering famine in Africa. There is every reason to criticise Western capitals and urge them to make real efforts to counter famine in Africa.

For our part, we are open for a sincere and honest discussion with every country, primarily, with our African friends, of the real reasons for the threat of famine in Africa and those that created it. We can explain what forced obstacles we have to overcome to ensure unconditional fulfilment of our international commitments on the supplies of food, fertilisers and other strategic goods to the countries that need them the most.