Russian crops, fertilizers must move ‘unimpeded’: UN chief

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 on Saturday, Aug. 20.

“It is important that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market,” he said from the Joint Coordination Center.

The JCC oversees the implementation of the Ukrainian grain export agreement signed in July by Kyiv and Moscow, with the United Nations 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 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 consumer prices,” he said.

Guterres traveled this week to Ukraine, where he met 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 United Nations 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, as they are crucial for food supplies in many African countries.

Source: Carta Capital

To read the full original article, please go to: https://www.cartacapital.com.br/mundo/chefe-da-onu-pede-para-suspender-barreiras-as-exportacoes-russas-de-fertilizantes/

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