Statement by the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Pankin at the G20 Ministerial Meeting of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, Rio de Janeiro, July 24, 2024
25 July 2024 21:17
1422-25-07-2024
Distinguished colleagues,
We are thankful to the Brazilian Presidency and particularly President Lula for his very timely initiative to launch the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.
Unfortunately, despite occasional progress in some regions in terms of food access we are still lagging behind in achieving the SDGs for ending poverty and hunger. Figures on hunger and malnutrition cited by United Nations аgencies are gruesome and shocking, especially on some 50 million people, primarily in the Sahel, the Gaza Strip, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria, who are at the brink of starvation. The situation in Gaza remains the most serious, with its population almost entirely underfed.
The launch of the Alliance will, hopefully, boost the efforts to improve global food security through political mobilization of the international community, sharing experiences and practices, and increasing resource and financial assistance. We support the documents to create the Alliance submitted for approval at this Meeting and have already begun filling up the online Policy basket. We are ready to share our proven best practices and know-how in combating hunger and poverty with all interested countries. The most popular programmes in demand with our partners are school meals; support for small farms; social protection; and women's economic empowerment. We are currently working towards establishing a research centre for international food security in Russia.
Mr. President,
We have to note that against this background, the collective West is still pursuing its disinformation campaign and tightening up its clampdown on Russian food and fertilizer supplies to developing countries in need, while seeking to conceal the underlying real causes of the negative trends, namely their own financial, economic and energy blunders and miscalculations. Rampant sanctions, protectionism and Western interference in supply chains only increase distortions in markets and price volatility.
The United Nations estimates that there is currently no shortage of food. On the contrary, according to FAO world cereal production in 2024 will mark a new all-time high. The main problems are in distribution and price environment. Though in April FAO reported a global price decline of 7.4%compared to 2023 (the price of goods falls due to cheaper grain). The International Grain Council reported similar trends.
Russia continues to fulfill, responsibly and in good-faith, its contractual obligations to export food, fertilizers, energy and other critical products. We understand how important they are for the social and economic development of countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, as well as for achieving food security targets and the SDGs. In 2023, Russia grain exports amounted to 80 million tonnes, including 55 million tonnes of wheat, almost 60% increase on 2022. Russian companies accounted for a quarter of global wheat exports. We aim to boost production in the Russian agricultural sector by at least 25%, and exports - by 50% by 2030 as compared to 2021.
However, illegitimate impediments created by the West for Russian economic operators (trade restrictions, denial of access of Russian ships to European ports, prohibition of insurance and financial transactions) are hampering global food security and slow down progress towards sustainable development.
Russia acts as a responsible and reliable donor donating - as part of Presidential initiative - tens of thousands of tonnes of Russian fertilizers (seized in European ports) and grain to a large number of African countries, including Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Mali, Somalia, Zimbabwe. We are actively seeking alternative routes to supply Russian food products to the poorest countries.
We overfulfill our commitments under the Food Assistance Convention having donated 50 million US dollars to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) alone in 2023 for food assistance to LDCs and other developing countries. We will continue our active efforts together with all our constructive partners in this crucial area for global development.
Thank you.
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