As he started a visit of African nations that depend on imports for their food supply, Russia’s top diplomat assured Egyptian authorities on Sunday that their order for Russian grain would be fulfilled.
Following discussions with his Egyptian colleague Sameh Shoukry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated at a news conference that “we confirmed the willingness of Russian exporters of cereal products to meet their orders in full.”
President Vladimir Putin emphasised this during a recent phone chat with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Lavrov’s visit comes soon after a landmark deal between Russia and Ukraine signed on Friday with the United Nations and Turkey in an effort to alleviate a worldwide food crisis brought on by halted grain shipments across the Black Sea.
Since Russian soldiers invaded Ukraine in February, between 20 and 25 million tonnes of grain have been held at Ukrainian ports due to Ukraine’s placement of naval mines to thwart an amphibious invasion of its coast.
The agreement aims to boost Russian grain exports by exempting them from Western sanctions while also establishing secure lanes for grain shipments from three Ukrainian ports.
According to Lavrov, “these illegitimate restrictions over (Russian) financing and supply lines” were imposed by the European Union and the United States. Antonio Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, took charge of their abolition.
