UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he is working closely with the EU and US to ensure Russian food and fertilisers reach the global markets.
UN SECRETARY-General Antonio Guterres said over the weekend that he is working closely with the EU and US to ensure Russian food and fertilisers reach the global markets.
Countries from across Europe as well as the US have imposed strict sanctions on Russia over its “special military operation” in Ukraine, however, Guterres said it had a “chilling effect” on exports and that the UN is working with the respective officials to remove those obstacles.
“There are a certain number of obstacles and difficulties that need to be overcome in relation to shipping … to insurance and … finance,” Guterres said during a news conference alongside Turkey’s Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar.
Before the February 24 invasion, Russia and Ukraine accounted for nearly one third of global wheat exports, while Russia is also a major global exporter of fertiliser.
Last month, under a UN-brokered deal in Turkey, Russia and Ukraine agreed to resume the grain export from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, where more than 650.000 metric tons of grain and other food has already being exported.
“The other part of this package deal is the unimpeded access to the global markets of Russian food and fertiliser, which are not subject to sanctions,” said Guterres.
“Getting more food and fertiliser out of Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices for consumers,” he said.
According to Al Jazeera news agency, Guterres said that “without fertiliser in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023”.
