WFP-Chartered Ship Carrying Russian Fertilizers To Set Off In Next 48 Hours - UN

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th November, 2022) The long-awaited ship chartered by the World Food Program (WFP) to transport Russian fertilizers to Malawi is expected to set off in the next 48 hours, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.

"We expect the movement in the next 48 hours," Dujarric told a briefing.

It will be very much welcomed, the official added.

The ship was supposed to start sailing on November 21, but later its departure was delayed. The vessel will sail via Mozambique, with Malawi as the final destination.

On July 22, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations struck a deal to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that most of the ships carrying Ukrainian grain did not make it to the world's poorest countries and ended up in Europe. At the same time, Putin has voiced his concerns that Russian products are not entering the global markets as promised by the agreement.

Since then, the grain deal, originally scheduled to expire on November 19, was renewed for another 120 days. Last week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin highlighted the importance of lifting Western sanctions on exports of Russian agricultural products to reduce risks to global food security.