African leaders lean on Putin to return to the Black Sea grain deal – report
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The African Union has urged Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to immediately revive the UN-mediated Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), which allowed Ukraine to export its grain, Politico reported on July 28.
Read also: Grain deal collapse is a global problem – US State Department
“The problem of grains and fertilizers concerns everyone,” the report quotes Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who currently heads the African Union. Assoumani is currently in St. Petersburg, where Putin is hosting a Russia-Africa summit.
“We will talk about this in St. Petersburg, we will discuss it with Putin to see how we can restart this agreement.”
In its piece about the ingoing summit, Reuters wrote that African leaders generally pushed Putin to cease the war against Ukraine. Although they refrained from criticizing Russia directly, their speeches on the second day of the summit were more assertive and unified than previous addresses by African nations.
The leaders emphasized to the Kremlin the deep-seated concern among Africans regarding the repercussions of the war, notably the rise in food prices.
“This war must end; and it can only end on the basis of justice and reason,” African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said.
“The disruptions of energy and grain supplies must end immediately. The grain deal must be extended for the benefit of all the peoples of the world, Africans in particular.”
Read also: Two-thirds of African leaders refuse to attend Putin’s summit
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi asserted at the summit that reaching an agreement regarding the restoration of the grain deal was crucial.
Read also: US not planning to escort Ukrainian grain cargo ships, says White House
In response, Putin reiterated his claim that the surge in global food prices was a consequence of Western policy errors. He persistently maintained that Russia had exited the Black Sea agreement as the grain was allegedly being diverted to wealthier nations rather than the poorest ones.
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