MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. The US could be more interested in Ukrfaine’s fertile soil than rare-earth minerals, Karin Kneissl, former Austrian foreign minister and head of the "G.O.R.K.I." center at St. Petersburg State University, said in an interview with TASS.
She pointed out that like Russia, Ukraine was rich in fertile lands, and major investment houses such as BlackRock, as well as Chinese investors, had expressed an interest in it.
"Food products in general - from orange juice to grain and soy - are oftentimes even more important for many investors, including public funds from Arab countries. Why? Because they need to feed their people, and Ukraine is attractive not only because of its rare-earth elements but also because, in my view, the agriculture issue will be more important in the long-term," she noted.
Kneissl also stressed that Ukraine had lost control of the main mineral deposits. "It has been repeatedly said in the past few weeks that the areas that are now under Russia’s control have major deposits of lithium, the demand for which is growing," the ex-Austrian foreign minister said.