ST. PETERSBURG, July 27. /TASS/. African countries are asking that the delivery of Russian and Ukrainian grain to the continent be made easier, President of the African Union and President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani and African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said.

Assoumani pointed out that Russia is doing a lot to solve the food problem. "This (grain supply - TASS) is a vital problem for us. The suspension of the grain deal may have some impact on our cooperation. Russia is closely cooperating with us and is doing a lot to fight grain problems, [to solve] the food problem. More than 1.9 million tons [of grain] have been delivered from Russia, the amount of deliveries exceeded $3 billion," he said at the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

"The Ukrainian crisis is having a major impact, so resolving this crisis will save the lives of a large number of people who depend on these food supplies. Our continent is currently being severely impacted by food prices. Therefore, we urge all stakeholders to facilitate the delivery of both Ukrainian and Russian grain to our countries," he pointed out.

The African Union head also added that African countries "are ready to cooperate with Russia in all areas to ensure peace and security on the continent."

The second Russia-Africa Summit is taking place at St. Petersburg’s Expoforum on July 27-28, in parallel with economic and humanitarian forums. Similar to the first such summit in 2019, the event is being held under the rubric "For Peace, Security and Development." The event is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the event’s official information partner and photo hosting agency.