Russia pushes for open food trade – MFA

Russia is actively working to eliminate international barriers hindering its food and agricultural exports, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said, as reported by TASS on Wednesday.

He emphasised the ongoing validity of the memorandum between Russia and the UN aimed at facilitating such trade.

Despite suspending its role in the Black Sea grain export initiative over unmet conditions, Russia remains committed to global food security and is exploring a potential deal with Qatar and Turkey to provide 1 million tonnes of grain to needy nations.

The memorandum, set to expire in 2025, was part of a broader agreement including Turkey and Ukraine to establish a coordination centre overseeing grain shipments.

However, Russia has pointed out that its interests, particularly the removal of export obstacles, were not addressed in the original deal, which concluded on July 17, 2023.

Moscow is open to rejoining the initiative if its terms are met, highlighting that the majority of Ukrainian grain has been received by developed Western countries rather than the intended poorer nations.