African Union Welcomes Russia-Ukraine Grain Deal

ADDIS ABABA – The African Union has welcomed the agreement signed between Ukraine and Russia to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports and ease an international food crisis.

The agreement will allow some 22 million tonnes worth of Ukrainian grain currently stuck in silos, to be released onto the global market 

Mousa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the AU Commission, commended the signing of the agreements brokered by Türkiye’s President Recep Erdogan and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“I commend all the Parties on this successful development,” the Chairperson said, reiterating AU’s previous appeal for the waring “parties to establish an immediate ceasefire and open further political negotiations”.

The pause in grain and other food exports due to the ships stuck in Ukrainian ports increased the risk of a global food crisis. This has affected Africa in general and the drought-hit parts of the East African countries in particular.  

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the agreement on allowing commercial food exports from ports in Ukraine through the Black Sea brings hope for the region. “We will spare no effort to ensure its success,” it said.

Ukraine and Russia signed the agreement to resume Ukraine’s grain shipments from Black Sea ports in Istanbul.

Under the deal, a coordination center will be established to conduct joint inspections at entrances and exits of harbors and to ensure the safety of the routes.

Türkiye coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv to open a corridor from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to resume global grain shipments that were stuck due to the war, now in its fifth month.

EM/Anadolu