MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Moscow has completed grain deliveries to six poorest African countries, providing them with 200,000 tons of grain as humanitarian aid, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

"We have completed wheat deliveries to six poorest countries on the African continent," he said. "We delivered a total of 200,000 tons of grain to the African continent as humanitarian aid," the minister added.

The deliveries were carried out together with the United Grain Company and with assistance from the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Transport Ministry.

"The first ship departed on November 7, 2023. The average travel time stood at 30-40 days. The last vessel arrived in Somalia in late January and the unloading of its cargo was completed on February 17," Patrushev specified.

Mali, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe and Eritrea received 25,000 tons of grain each, while Somalia and the Central African Republic were provided with 50,000 tons of grain each. "In fact, this is the first time that our country carried out such a large-scale humanitarian operation," the minister stressed.