ST. PETERSBURG, June 14. /TASS/. Uralchem-Uralkali Group intends to ship 80,000-90,000 tons of fertilizers blocked in European ports as humanitarian assistance to African countries in need in the near future, Chief Executive Officer of United Chemical Co Uralchem Dmitry Konyaev said in an interview aired by the Rossiya-24 TV news channel within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Wednesday.

"The first batch shipped was not part of the frozen products, with the shipments flowing from Russia’s Baltic. Later we managed to ship products from the Netherlands and Belgium, while now shipments from Latvia are underway. We have already shipped 77,000 or 78,000 tons, and we plan to ship another 80,000-90,000 tons in the foreseeable future," he said.

Uralchem-Uralkali agreed to supply humanitarian batches of fertilizers blocked at warehouses in Belgium, the Netherlands and Estonia to Africa last November. The first vessel for exports was chartered by the UN’s World Food Program.

The 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) - Russia’s showcase annual economic and business event - is being held on June 14-17. 'Sovereign Development as the Basis of a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations' is theme of this year’s forum. TASS is the official information partner of the event.

SPIEF’s expanded business program offers attendees the opportunity to participate in more than 140 sessions featuring over 1,000 moderators and speakers, according to event organizer Roscongress Foundation. In line with tradition, Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the plenary session of SPIEF on Friday.