Ankara (agencies)
Yesterday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that he agrees with Russia in its request to lift obstacles to Russian fertilizer and grain exports, adding that there is a need to address this matter so that the agreement to export grain through the Black Sea can be extended.
Cavusoglu said, in a joint press conference in Ankara with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, that Turkey is committed to extending the UN-sponsored agreement to ensure the safe passage of grain and commodity shipments from Ukrainian ports.
“We attach importance to the continuation of the agreement, not only for the sake of Russian and Ukrainian grain and fertilizer exports, but also for stopping the global food crisis,” Davutoglu added.
“We also agree on the need to remove obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, stressing the importance of addressing issues for further extension of the grain agreement,” he added.
For his part, the Russian Foreign Minister stated that Russia may not extend the grain agreement in the Black Sea, unless the Russian grain and fertilizer exports are resumed.
Lavrov said that Moscow doubts the necessity of the agreement, accusing Western countries of not easing restrictions on Russian agricultural exports and fertilizers, despite the agreement, which is monitored by the United Nations.
He added that Russia will act outside the agreement, if Western sanctions continue, citing the lack of access to the international payment network “Swift” and commercial insurance.
The warning comes 3 weeks after the “grain in the Black Sea” initiative was extended for at least two months.
On March 19, the United Nations announced the extension of the Trans-Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was reached by the United Nations, with the aim of providing markets with food and fertilizers amid a state of shortage and high prices worldwide due to the Ukraine crisis.
Moscow proposed an extension of the agreement “for a period of 60 days as a gesture of goodwill” instead of the 120 days originally agreed upon, insisting that the other part of the agreement related to the export of Russian fertilizers must be respected.
Theoretically, these products, which are essential to global agriculture, are not subject to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow since the start of the Ukrainian crisis in February 2022. However, in practice, the sanctions hindered these exports.
According to the Turkish minister, “America and Britain have taken measures with regard to payment and insurance, but the problems continue, and some banks have not done what is necessary.”
Cavusoglu indicated that “steps have been taken to re-ship ammonia and Russian fertilizers from Western countries to African countries, but the problem has not been resolved.”
According to the United Nations, since the signing of the initiative in July 2022, about 25 million metric tons of grains and foodstuffs have been transported to 45 countries, and the initiative has helped stabilize global food prices, which reached high levels in March 2022. in decline.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said yesterday that global food prices, although still “very high”, declined for the 12th consecutive month, recording a 20.5% decrease in March 2023 compared to the same month in 2022 when they were Markets are witnessing the first consequences of the Ukraine crisis.
And the “FAO” stated that “the available abundance, weak demand for imports, and the extension of the Black Sea grain initiative contributed to this decline,” noting that prices still weigh on importing countries with difficult economic conditions.
The FAO Food Price Index, which measures the change in international prices for a basket of basic food commodities, declined by 2.1% compared to its level in February, and decreased by 20.5% “compared to its record level in March 2022.”
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