ISTANBUL, Turkey — Russian fertilizers and agricultural products must be able to reach
world markets “unimpeded” or a global food crisis could strike as early as next
year,
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Saturday.
اضافة اعلان
“It is important
that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market,”
he said from the
Joint Coordination Center (JCC).
The JCC oversees
the implementation of the Ukrainian grain export agreement signed in July by
Kyiv and Moscow with the UN and Turkey as guarantors.
The agreement
also guarantees Russia the right to export its agricultural products and
fertilizers despite Western sanctions.
“What we see here
in Istanbul and in Odessa is only the more visible part of the solution. The
other part of this package deal is the unimpeded access to the global markets
of Russian food and fertilizer, which are not subject to sanctions,” Guterres
said, adding that despite this, Russian fertilizer and agricultural exports
still faced “obstacles.”
“Without
fertilizers in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023. Getting more food
and fertilizers out of Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity
markets and lower prices for consumers,” he said.
Guterres traveled
this week to Ukraine, where he met with the presidents of Ukraine and Turkey,
Volodymyr Zelensky, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the western city of Lviv
Thursday.
He headed to the
southern city of Odessa on Friday.
Earlier Saturday,
he visited the first aid ship chartered by the UN to transport Ukrainian grain
on the southern shores of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara.
The Brave
Commander left the Ukrainian port of Pivdenny on Tuesday with 23,000 tonnes of
wheat before crossing the Bosphorus on Wednesday evening.
The UN chief
vowed Thursday that his organization would try to “step up” grain exports from
Ukraine before the onset of winter, which are crucial for food supplies in many
African countries.
Under the
agreement signed in July, 650,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain and agricultural
products have left the Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny
since August 1.
Ships must use a
safe corridor to travel in the Black Sea and then be inspected by the JCC
before being allowed to cross the Bosphorus Strait.
Cereal exports from
Ukraine, one of the world’s leading producers and exporters, were blocked for
several months due to the Russian invasion, raising fears of a global food
crisis.
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