JAPAN. Tokyo: On Sunday, the Group of Seven (G7) economic powers urged for the “extension, full implementation, and expansion” of a crucial agreement to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, said the group’s agriculture ministers in a communiqué.
The agreement, negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey and signed in Istanbul in July, allows Ukraine to export more than 27 million metric tonnes of grain from several of its Black Sea ports.
Russia, which invaded its neighbour in February 2022, has made it clear that it won’t permit the agreement to last through May 18 since several conditions to enable its own grain and fertiliser exports have not been reached.
The G7 agricultural ministers “recognised the importance” of the agreement in a communiqué following a two-day summit in Miyazaki, Japan, which read: “We strongly support the extension, full implementation, and expansion of (the Black Sea Grain Initiative) BSGI.”
“We condemn Russia’s attempts to use food as a means of destabilisation and as a tool of geopolitical coercion and reiterate our commitment to acting in solidarity and supporting those most affected by Russia’s weaponization of food,” stated the communiqué.
The G7 nations “stand ready” to assist in the rehabilitation and rebuilding of Ukraine, particularly by offering their experience in the demining of agricultural land and the repair of agricultural infrastructure, according to the statement.
In New York this week, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the agreement for the export of grain from Ukraine to the Black Sea.
Black Sea Grain initiative
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, also known as the Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian Ports, is a pact that Russia and Ukraine established with Turkey and the U.N. during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In February, the Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in a complete halt to grain shipments by sea from Ukraine, which had previously been a significant exporter via the Black Sea. This led to an increase in food prices globally and the prospect of famine in low-income nations.
The U.N. and Turkey, which controls the Black Sea’s marine lanes, hosted discussions in April to address the issue. The resulting pact, which had a 120-day validity period, was signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022.
The grain export agreement has helped to alleviate the global food crisis that the conflict in Ukraine and the Western sanctions on Russia have caused.
The deal has allowed for the shipment of more than 24.1 million metric tonnes of grain up until March, according to the U.N. Only a fourth of the grain exported under the BSGI is going to low-income nations, as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) disclosed in October 2022.
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