Russia doing everything it can to fight world hunger — Putin
"I must point out that we are doing this despite all the illegal sanctions against our exports which seriously complicate transport, logistics, insurance and settlements," the president added
JOHANNESBURG /South Africa/, August 24. /TASS/. Russia is using every tool at its disposal to fight world hunger and avert a food crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin said speaking by video link at a meeting of the BRICS Plus/Outreach format.
"Our country has been paying special attention to ensuring food and fertilizer supplies to African countries and the global markets in general," Putin stated. "In other words, we use all the opportunities at our disposal to contribute to the global efforts to fight hunger and prevent a food crisis."
"Luckily, Russia has produced record grain harvests for the second year in a row as I have already said, we will provide urgent humanitarian aid to six African countries within the next several months by sending each of them between 25,000 and 50,000 tons of grain and delivering it for free," Putin said, adding that such agreements were concluded earlier this summer at the 2023 Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg.
"We are about to complete the talks with our friends on these matters, and we are about to deliver on this task," Putin continued. "I must point out that we are doing this despite all the illegal sanctions against our exports which seriously complicate transport, logistics, insurance and settlements."
"I would like to reassure our African friends that Russia will always remain a reliable supplier of agricultural products and will continue to support the neediest countries," the Russian president added.
The BRICS group encompasses Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group held its annual summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 22-24. The leaders of 54 African countries were invited to participate in the summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the event via video link, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was onsite representing Russia in person.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced after the completion of the bloc’s 15th summit in Johannesburg earlier on Thursday that Argentina, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia would join BRICS from January 1, 2024.