Black Sea grain deal extension vital to avoid ‘further shocks,’ Canada says – National
Canada is seeking an extension to the Black Sea Grain Agreement, which allows the use of Ukrainian ports for shipping food grains during the war.
The deal, which expires on Monday, is crucial to avoid “further shocks” to the system, Global Affairs Canada told Global News on Friday.
“Canada calls for the continuation of the Black Sea Grains Initiative for as long as necessary to avoid further shock to the already strained global food system from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” said Global Affairs Canada. A spokeswoman told Global News.
“Canada will continue to work with our partners to mitigate the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on the global food system through humanitarian food and nutrition assistance and long-term agricultural and food system development assistance.” Stated.
A shaky deal brokered last summer to help feed the world is on the brink over whether a Russian president will take office. Vladimir Putinthe United Nations and the European Union can break the impasse.
This agreement was a decisive breakthrough through Turkish-Turkish mediation. united nationsit was allowed Ukraine We plan to ship 32.8 million tons of grain. More than half of it was sent to developing countries around the world cut off by Russian aggression.
Ukraine and Russia Both are major suppliers of food grains to many countries in Africa and West Asia, and the invasion initially raised fears that cutting off access to them would trigger a global food crisis. . The Black Sea Accords managed to avert the worst, but the fears have returned.
Putin said on Thursday that Russia could withdraw from the deal until other countries meet their commitments. The Russian government has repeatedly threatened to block the extension, citing aspects of the agreement’s implementation that affect Russia’s own exports.
Putin said on state television that Russia was in contact with the UN over the matter, but had not seen a message from the UN secretary-general suggesting a compromise to rescue the deal.
He also wants concessions that the EU has been hesitant to grant on the international payment system SWIFT and Russia’s Agricultural Bank.
The expiration of the agreement also means that the World Food Program’s aid plans for endangered countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Afghanistan are threatened.
The pandemic is already pushing food-insecure people to the brink around the world.
— With files from Associated Press and Reuters
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