TOKYO, August 21. /TASS/. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are discussing the options for delivering Russian grain to the region via India and China, Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, chairman of the ASEAN economy ministers’ meeting, said.
"We discussed the implementation of ASEAN trade and investment cooperation with Russia, for example, the ASEAN-Russia e-commerce seminar, supplies of agricultural products from Russia to ASEAN," the Detik news portal quoted him as saying.
Hasan also commented on the possibility of importing Russian wheat from China and India. "Yes, now it (importing grain from Russia - TASS) is not easy <...>. We discussed [the fact] that, if we want to simplify supplies, we can make supplies through India or China <...>. As we have no problems with India and China," the Indonesian trade minister said.
At the same time, he pointed out that there is no shortage of wheat in the region and supplies from other countries are also possible, Detik reported. "It is difficult to do it [import] directly [from Russia], but we have no problems with wheat. There is a lot [of wheat] in Canada, Australia and the US, so there are no problems," the portal quoted the trade minister as saying.