Ecuador - Russia Relations
Ecuador is the world's largest banana exporter, and the sector has been hammered by the war in Ukraine. On 06 February 2024 the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia (Rosselkhoznadzor) suspended the import of bananas grown in Ecuador through European Union countries. This was announced by the organisation's press office. It is explained that the ban is due to the detection of a parasitic insect in bananas. Imports of flowers from the South American country were also suspended.
Ecuador is the world's largest banana exporter, but the sector had been hammered by the conflict in Ukraine. With nowhere to send them, containers of the rotting fruit were piling up not far from where they were originally harvested. Ecuador supplied around 95 per cent of Russian banana imports. Around 21 per cent of Ecuador’s banana export volume is sent to Russia, generating US$757m dollars a year in foreign currency. In 2021, Russia exported $509M to Ecuador. The main products that Russia exported to Ecuador are Refined Petroleum ($241M), Nitrogenous Fertilizers ($80.5M), and Mixed Mineral or Chemical Fertilizers ($38.5M). During the last 25 years the exports of Russia to Ecuador have increased at an annualized rate of 14.1%, from $19M in 1996 to $509M in 2021. In 2021, Russia did not export any services to Ecuador.
Russia was the destination of almost 20% of the boxes of bananas that Ecuador exported during 2021 . It is a significant market for the country, the main one among the independent countries without bringing them together in commercial blocs, even above the United States (USA). One of the main repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the reduction of Ecuador’s commercial dynamism with that part of the planet, says Cristian Carpio, an analyst and professor at the University of the Americas (UDLA). The volume exported to Russia fell 2.19% between January and October of this year compared to the same period in 2021, while what was sent to Eastern Europe fell 53.5% (especially through Ukraine).
Ecuador will not send weapons to Ukraine as a country involved in the conflict, the country’s Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld said at a meeting of the parliamentary commission 19 February 2024, which was broadcast on her Facebook page (activities in the Russian Federation are prohibited). The diplomat clarified that the state stands for a “peaceful solution.” President [Daniel] Noboa gave clear instructions not to send military equipment to a country that is involved in an international armed conflict ,” the head of the department emphasized.
At the beginning of January, Daniel Noboa said that he planned to transfer old Russian and Ukrainian-made equipment to the United States in exchange for new ones for a total amount of $200 million. According to him, the exchange was planned to take place before the end of the month. However, later the Russian Ambassador to the Republic Vladimir Sprinchan notified that the country's authorities had canceled the decision to transfer Soviet equipment to the United States of America.
Sprinchan explained that the President of Ecuador thus once again outlined his peacekeeping position regarding the special military operation in Ukraine. The diplomat added that sending Russian equipment to the United States would be a “contribution to the conflict of one side,” which violates the head of state’s statements about the republic’s neutrality in relation to Kyiv and Moscow.
Between 2016 and the first half of 2023, Ecuador saw a nearly 500 percent increase in the murder rate. The year 2023 concluded with over 8,000 registered murders nationwide. Authorities who spoke with Kyiv Post said Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan fingerprints can be seen in the escalation of violence in the region, including in Ecuador. In Kyiv Post’s interview with Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, the statesman had indicated that the globe’s non-democratic forces were in cahoots to buy, transport, and sell narcotics and deal in other illegal businesses, globally. He cited organizations like the then-Wagner Group as having been “instrumental in the narcotics trade.” Lopez specifically cited China, Russia, Iran, Belarus, Nicaragua, and Cuba as having interests in international crime rings. Ecuadorian intelligence officials indicated to Kyiv Post that Iranian as well as Venezuelan nationals are involved in the nation’s drug trade. Both Iran and Venezuela are close allies of the Russian government.
Maria Zakharova, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, on 10 January 2024 stated "The Foreign Ministry expresses its solidarity with the Government and the people of Ecuador as they face criminal groups, which have radically stepped up their efforts to disrupt and destabilise the situation in the country. We firmly condemn the terrorist methods, including hostage taking, practiced by the armed groups, and wish a speedy recovery to those who suffered in these criminal attacks. It is our expectation that the Ecuadorian authorities will put an end to the rampage caused by these criminal elements, and to do so independently, without any outside interference, by reasserting control and restoring calm and order."
On 10 January 2024, the country's president, Daniel Noboa, said that Ecuador would transfer Russian-made and Ukrainian-made equipment to the United States in exchange for new equipment worth $200 million. Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said that the military cooperation agreement between the Russian and Ecuadorian governments does not allow the transfer of military products to a third party without Moscow's prior written consent. Commander of United States Southern Command Laura Richardson said in January 2023 that Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and six more Latin American countries possess Russian-made weapons and the country would be willing to swap these Russian weapons for US-made ones if said countries agree to transfer them to Ukraine.
Ecuador supplies around 95 per cent of Russian banana imports. Around 21 per cent of Ecuador’s banana export volume is sent to Russia, generating US$757m dollars a year in foreign currency. In 2021, Russia exported $509M to Ecuador. The main products that Russia exported to Ecuador are Refined Petroleum ($241M), Nitrogenous Fertilizers ($80.5M), and Mixed Mineral or Chemical Fertilizers ($38.5M). During the last 25 years the exports of Russia to Ecuador have increased at an annualized rate of 14.1%, from $19M in 1996 to $509M in 2021. In 2021, Russia did not export any services to Ecuador.
The agreement of military cooperation between Russia and Ecuador does not allow the transfer of military products to a third party without a prior Russian consent, the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said 24 January 2024."We take note of reports about intentions of leaders of the Republic of Ecuador to implement the transfer of armament and materiel of Russian production to the US without receiving a relevant authorization of the Russian Federation," the Service informed. "We would like to stress that in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Ecuador on Military Technical Cooperation of November 27, 2008, the transfer of military products received as a result of bilateral military-technical cooperation to a third party is unacceptable without a prior written consent of the Russian Federation," the Service informed. Supply contracts contain similar requirements, the Service added.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova on 02 February 2024 answered a media question regarding the statement made by President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa on transferring Russian military equipment to the United States: "Our partners are well aware of the terms of their contracts, which include the obligation to use the delivered assets for their intended purpose and not to transfer them to third parties without Russia’s consent. We believe that Ecuador took what can be described as a hasty decision under significant pressure from outside stakeholders. Had this been a question of transferring what Ecuador has been referring to as scrap metal, it is highly unlikely that Washington would have offered to exchange it for modern equipment worth a substantial amount of money. We hope that Quito understands this."
On 06 February 2024 Ecuador’s banana industry issued a strong rebuttal to Russian claims that a ban on banana imports from five Ecuadorean exporters was necessary due to phytosanitary breaches. The Ecuadorean Banana Cluster published a statement defending its phytosanitary record and underscoring the country’s commitment to guaranteeing its bananas meet all the standards required by the market.
Ecuador and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations in 1969, but it was not until 1972, when Ecuador joined OPEC, that the Soviets showed much interest in Ecuador. By the mid-1970s, the Soviet Union maintained an embassy in Quito rivaling in importance that of the United States.
Russia and Ecuador enjoyed close relationship over a decade as Rafael Correa’s government moved the country away from the US. In February 2017, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Guillaume Long told Sputnik that the relations between Russia and Ecuador had a strategic character, adding that such a cooperation promoted the idea of a multipolar world. Russia and Ecuador signed a deal on cooperation against money laundering and financing of terrorism. Moscow and Quito are also finalizing agreements on extradition and transfer of prisoners.
Equador counts on attracting more Russian companies to participation in investment projects, including in the energy area, President of the parliament Gabriela Rivadeneira said 29 March 2016. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia is a strategic partner of all the Latin America, the official said. "We have offers that meet the Russian interests, and [we are talking] not only about products export but also about oil projects. We expect to attract even more Russian companies," Rivadeneira told reporters during a visit to Moscow. She stressed that Russia has already invested in major Ecuadorian projects and that her visit was aimed at boosting the bilateral trade ties. Rivadeneira arrived in Moscow to hold meetings with representatives of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as with the Russia's parliament upper house speaker Valentina Matvienko.
Russia should increase import of products made in Latin America to fill the gaps caused by the Russian countermeasures against the Western sanctions, Russia’s Ambassador to Ecuador Andrei Veklenko told Sputnik 15 February 2017. "The delays in filling the gaps, caused by certain sanctions, with Latin American products are obvious. This process needs to be spurred, because the quality of local [Latin American] products is very, very high, everyone knows that," the ambassador said in an interview.
As a result of the inspections, conducted by the Russian agricultural watchdog in Ecuador in November 2016, more Ecuadorian products could appear on the Russian market soon, among them fish and shrimps, cheese and dairy products, Veklenko noted. The import of Ecuadorian shrimps to Russia in 2016 increased by 90% in comparison with 2015, the Russian envoy added. "Ecuador has perfect coffee, chocolate and cocoa. However, they have not been supplied so far and this is the potential that could be used," the ambassador said, referring to the Ecuadorian import to Russia.
The European Union, the Unites States and some other Western countries imposed sanctions against Russia in 2014 over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict and several times extended them. In turn, Russia has denied the allegations and in turn introduced a food embargo on meat products, dairy products, fish, fruits and vegetables from certain countries that sanctioned Moscow.
Russia and Ecuador are preparing a bilateral agreement on cooperation in peaceful use of outer space, scheduled to be finalized soon, Russia’s Ambassador to Ecuador Andrei Veklenko said 15 February 2017. “During the last, forth meeting of intergovernmental [Russian-Ecuadorian] commission in Quito, the sides discussed such concrete things as remote sensing of the land from space, use of GLONASS [Russian satellite navigation system] here [in Ecuador]. But in order for that to work, a legal base is required. Currently, the bilateral agreement on peaceful use of outer space is being actively reviewed,” the ambassador said.
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