Erdogan Says Russian Grain Will Alleviate Food Crisis In Africa If Allowed To Markets

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2022) Allowing Russian grain to enter global markets will help resolve food crisis in Africa and other countries in need, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

"If Russian grain starts coming in, we will organize and combine all this into a certain system in the most ideal way until we reach these poor African countries and send them this grain and other products. I hope to openly discuss this issue with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. Because many countries are in a difficult situation, especially in Africa, and we need to reach these countries and send these products to them as soon as possible," Erdogan told reporters.

On July 22, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey signed an UN-brokered initiative to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Black Sea ports.

Three key Ukrainian ports � Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne � were unblocked to resume exports.

On Wednesday, Putin, commenting on the situation with the export of Ukrainian grain, said that almost all the grain exported from Ukraine was sent not to developing countries, but to the European Union. According to him, only two ships out of 87 reached countries in need.

Moreover, part of the deal regarding the export of Russian food and fertilizers is not working, Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's permanent representative to the UN in New York, said, adding that the agreement might be terminated due to this fact.