The current head of the African Union, President of Senegal Macky Sall, announced today, Friday, that he came out “reassured” following meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who discussed with him fears of a food crisis.
“We leave here very satisfied and very pleased with our talks,” Sall told reporters, at the conclusion of the meeting in Sochi, southern Russia, adding that he found the Russian president “committed and aware that the sanctions crisis is causing serious problems for weak economies such as African economies.”
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Putin receives Macky Salle
The Senegalese president confirmed that Putin expressed his desire to facilitate Ukraine’s grain exports during a meeting in the resort of Sochi.
Sall added, in a statement on Twitter, that Putin informed him of Russia’s readiness also to guarantee exports of Russian wheat and fertilizers.
Talks between Putin and Macky Sall, who was accompanied by Chadian Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, continued for three hours, the Senegalese president explained, referring to a “full exchange on the situation”.
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Putin receives Macky Sall (right) and Faki (centre)
“I told him that we came first to ask to work for peace,” he explained.
The United Nations fears “famine”, especially in African countries that used to import more than half of the wheat they need from Ukraine or from Russia, while no ship can leave the ports of Ukraine.
This led to a rise in grain prices, which exceeded what they were in 2011 and 2008.