DJAKARTA, October 6. /TASS/. Western nations are blocking Russia’s efforts to increase food supplies in the global market, which could have "literally devastating" consequences for the poorest nations of the globe, Speaker of the Federation Council [the upper house of the Russian parliament - TASS] Valentina Matviyenko said at the G20 parliamentary speakers summit.
"Russia is the global leader in grain sales. In 2020, Russia exported grain to 138 countries around the world. The sanctions against Russia today are sanctions against all those countries. At the same time, our efforts to increase food supplies in the market are blocked by the countries of the so-called West," the NF speaker said.
Matviyenko cited the agreement on grain export from Ukrainian ports as an example, which was implemented in many aspects owing to the efforts of Turkey. "In the end, the Ukrainian grain so awaited in the poorest nations is mostly exported to the well-fed countries of Europe. The second part of the agreement has currently also not been fulfilled - Russia is prevented from the free transfer of mineral fertilizers blocked in European ports to countries in need," she said.
She stressed that Russia is not allowed to export grain. "These politically motivated prohibitions can become literally life-threatening for the poorest nations," she added.