The United Nations should take the required steps to remove 200,000 tonnes of Russian fertilizer that have been stranded in EU seaports for urgent and free distribution to African countries.
On Wednesday, the African leaders spearheading the peace attempt to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine issued this plea. The leaders also called for the complete restart of the Black Sea grain agreement in a statement.
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“The leaders called for specific steps to remove obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer exports, thus allowing the resumption of the full implementation of the Black Sea package initiative of the UN secretary-general as endorsed on July 22, 2022, in Istanbul,” the leaders said.
The remark comes after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week at the second Russia-Africa conference in St Petersburg.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was joined at the two-day summit by President Azali Assoumani of Comoros in his capacity as AU chair, Congo’s President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah-el Sisi, Senegal’s President Macky Sall, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, and Zambia’s Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo.
It was Putin’s second meeting with the seven leaders. The first encounter occurred in June when the leaders embarked on a peace mission to Kyiv and St. Petersburg in an attempt to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine.
During their meeting, the African leaders acknowledged the progress made since June on the humanitarian proposals they discussed, particularly on the rights of children in areas of armed activity and prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, and agreed that humanitarian efforts would continue to yield results.
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According to Reuters, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Vershinin, stated last week that no talks on restoring the Black Sea grain export arrangement were underway.
Last July, the United Nations, and Turkey reached an agreement to prevent a worldwide food crisis by allowing grain that had been stopped by the Ukraine conflict to be safely transferred. Russia declared its withdrawal from the agreement last month.
