US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday urged Russia to extend the deal on Ukraine’s grain exports, which expires later this month.
The request was made during the proceedings of the G20 meeting in New Delhi, India.
“Russia has deliberately and systematically slowed down the pace of inspections, creating a backlog of ships that could deliver food to the world today,” Blinken told the foreign ministers of the 20 countries in India. capital gathered.
“It is imperative that the G20 expresses itself in the name of extending the cereals ‘initiative’, ensuring the strengthening of food security for the most vulnerable,” he called.
The grain deal was negotiated in July last year with the mediation of the UN and Turkey. The agreement eased the rise in food prices, a scenario that exacerbated hunger in developing countries.
The grain export agreement was extended in November, but UN emergency coordinator Martin Griffiths warned of the difficulties of getting another extension before the agreement expires on March 18.
The initiative enabled the export of nearly 20 million tons of grain. The Russian invasion of Ukraine blocked shipping traffic due to Moscow’s concerns about possible Ukrainian naval actions.
With AFP
Source: DN
