G7 agriculture ministers this Sunday condemned Russia’s use of food “as a destabilizing agent and tool of geopolitical coercion” during its invasion of Ukraine, to which they pledged aid.
“We continue to condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified offensive war against Ukraine,” reads the joint statement adopted by the Group of the World’s Seven Most Industrialized Countries (G7), at the end of two meeting for days. in the city of Miyazaki, in southwest Japan, where the European representative joined.
The Agriculture Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the EU expressed “deep concern at the devastating impact of the war on global food security, particularly due to sudden increases in prices of grains, fuel and fertilizers, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable,” the statement notes.
The group underlined its support for initiatives by the EU, Ukraine and Turkey to open grain export routes from the war-torn region, one of the world’s largest producers.
The G7 also pledged to “support those most affected by Russia’s militarization of food,” through measures guaranteeing access to food and fertilizer.
The seven officials also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery, sharing agricultural experiences and knowledge with Kiev, and contributing to rebuilding infrastructure and farmers’ access to finance and seeds through international organizations.
Source: DN
