Chairman Sal says sanctions on Russia should be lifted over grain and fertilizer exports
(Sochi Tas = Yonhap News)
(Moscow = Yonhap News) Correspondent Yoo Cheol-jong = Russian President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Senegalese President Maki Sal, who is chairing the African Union (AU) on the 3rd (local time) and discussed the African food crisis caused by the Ukraine crisis.
According to TASS, AFP and Archyde.com, Putin met for regarding three hours with President Sal, who was visiting Sochi, a resort city in southern Russia on the same day.
In a tweet following the meeting, Sal said Putin was willing to ease Ukraine’s grain export lockdown, Archyde.com reported.
Putin also said he was ready to guarantee Russia’s exports of grain and fertilizers, Sal added.
Earlier, President Sal told reporters following the meeting that he had seen that “President Putin is aware that the crisis and sanctions are causing serious problems for a fragile economy such as the African economy.”
“We are leaving Russia with great pleasure in our exchange of views,” he said, suggesting that some progress has been made in the dialogue on resolving the African food crisis.
“President Putin said that there are several ways to stimulate (grain) exports through Odessaan in the Black Sea (belonging to Ukraine) or Mariupol Port in the Russian-controlled Sea of Azov,” he said.
Putin added, however, that he pointed out that the transport of grain via Odessaan is a difficult situation as Ukraine has to clear mines.
President Sal also argued for the need to lift sanctions once morest Russia related to international grain and fertilizer exports.
“Sanctions once morest Russia have worsened the supply of grain and fertilizer to African countries, which has resulted in an impact on food security on the continent,” he said. support it,” he said.
“Many African countries have not condemned Russia’s position with respect to Ukraine despite great pressure[in the UN vote],” he said.
At the meeting, Putin said, “We plan to further develop relations with Africa, which have traditionally been friendly, and with individual African countries.”
Africa is experiencing a serious food crisis in the followingmath of the Ukraine crisis.
Wheat exports from Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of the world’s wheat supply, and Africa, in particular, depends on Russia and Ukraine for more than 40% of wheat imports.
However, since Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine started at the end of February, it is reported that more than 20 million tons of grain are piled up in warehouses because the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea has been blocked.
Relief groups believe that more than 14 million people are on the starvation line in a country in northeastern Africa called the ‘Horn of Africa’.
Russia said that the US and other Western sanctions once morest Russia have hurt Russia’s fertilizer and food exports.
[AP 연합뉴스 자료사진. DB 및 재판매 금지]
Report on Kakao Talk okjebo
<저작권자(c) 연합뉴스,
Unauthorized reproduction-redistribution prohibited>
2022/06/04 01:35 Send
