Senior Russian envoy discusses free grain supplies to neediest countries with UN officials

Sergey Vershinin

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin discussed free Russian grain and fertilizer supplies to the world’s neediest countries with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary General Rebeca Grynspan and UN Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported after the consultations involving Russia’s concerned agencies and companies.

"They continued a detailed exchange of views regarding the tasks of ensuring unimpeded access of Russian fertilizers and food to the world markets, taking into account their substantial share and for the sake of overcoming crisis phenomena in the field of global food security as well as combatting the threats of starvation," the statement said.

In addition, they "discussed in detail Russian agricultural exports that have been blocked as a result of the Western countries’ illegal unilateral sanctions."

"They also paid attention to humanitarian donations of domestic grain and fertilizers to the world’s poorest nations," the ministry said.