UNITED NATIONS, May 15. /TASS/. The increase of food exports to African countries within the Black Sea grain initiative was made possible solely thanks to the efforts of the Russian team at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, Russian Permanent Representative at the UN Vasily Nebenzya said, speaking during a Security Council meeting Monday.
"As of May 4, 40% of all produce, exported via the maritime humanitarian corridor, went to EU countries. The share of the poorest states in these purchases is less than 3%," Nebenzya said. "For almost a year, the well-fed West has been depleting the Ukrainian agricultural stockpile. Food supplies to African states have increased by 54% compared to the Black Sea initiative’s second phase only since March 18, when the initiative’s third stage started. And this was made possible solely thanks to the persistent efforts of the Russian team at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul - the only one who even fought with the UN [team] regarding giving priority to applications from ships heading towards the African continent."
The envoy noted that, unlike the export of Ukrainian grain, the issue of ammonia exports remains unresolved.
"The export of ammonia was supposed to be resumed in parallel with the grain exports, but that did not happen," the diplomat noted. "All this time, the Ukrainian side at the Joint Coordination Center has refused to even discuss the issue of unblocking the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, as per the corresponding trilateral agreement, and only kept rolling out new demands nowhere to be found in the Black Sea initiative.".