Rabat – The United Nations is currently collaborating with the United States and European Union to ease restrictions on Russian food and fertilizer exports to the international market, according to a statement from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“Without fertilizer in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023. Getting more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices for consumers,” Guterres reportedly said on Saturday during a visit to Istanbul.
During his visit to Turkey, the UN chief recalled that Ukraine’s grain exports are gradually returning to markets across the world thanks to a deal brokered by the UN and Turkey last month.
Ukraine’s grain exports were halted back in February following Russia’s invasion. Since the signing of the safe maritime passage deal in Turkey last month, more than 650,000 metric tonnes of grain and other food have left Ukrainian ports, Guterres said.
In his visit to the coordination center overseeing the exports, Guterres explained: “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.”
He also said countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia made clear that the sanctions do not include food and fertilizers. However, the sanctions had a “chilling effect” on all exports, he added.
“There are a certain number of obstacles and difficulties that need to be overcome in relation to shipping… to insurance and… finance,” Guterres said in a news conference with Turkey’s Defence Minister Hulusi Akar.
“Getting more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices for consumers,” he added.
Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the two countries accounted for almost a third of global wheat exports. Russia is also a major exporter of fertilizer, and of key ingredients in manufacturing fertilizers such as ammonia.
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