United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged governments and private sectors worldwide to allow Russian food and fertilizer “unimpeded access” to the global market as they are “not subject to sanctions” imposed on Moscow by the U.S. government and its allies in response to Russia’s latest war with Ukraine, Turkey’s Hürriyet Daily News reported.
Guterres made the remarks on August 20 during a press event at the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, Turkey.
“The other part of this package deal is the unimpeded access to the global markets of Russian food and fertilizer, which are not subject to sanctions. It is important that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market,” Guterres said.
“Without fertilizer in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023. Getting more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices for consumers,” he added.
Shortly after delivering his opening remarks at the JCC, Guterres joined Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar for a press conference. Guterres further addressed the U.N.’s plans to help facilitate the export of Russian grain, noting that “[t]here are a certain number of obstacles and difficulties that need to be overcome in relation to shipping […] to insurance and […] finance.”
Reuters paraphrased Guterres as saying that “those countries that imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine had made clear that the measures did not apply to food and fertilisers, but added there had nevertheless been a ‘chilling effect’ on exports.”
The JCC opened on July 27 to monitor the implementation of the U.N.’s Black Sea Grain Initiative. The plan is designed to help food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia reach the international market after such shipments largely stalled following the launch of Moscow’s latest war with Kyiv on February 24. The initiative’s secondary goal is to help “stabilize spiralling food prices worldwide and stave off famine, affecting millions,” according to the U.N. Russia and Ukraine accounted for 29 percent of global wheat exports prior to their latest conflict. Russia ranked as the world’s top exporter of fertilizer in early 2022.
Guterres joined representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey to inaugurate the JCC in Istanbul on July 27. Turkey has served as an ally to the U.N. in its efforts to broker the Black Sea Grain Initiative between warring Ukraine and Russia.
“The JCC will enable the safe transportation, by merchant ships, of commercial foodstuffs and fertilizer from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny,” the U.N. wrote in a press release on July 28.
“The centre will monitor the movement of commercial vessels to ensure compliance with the initiative; focus on exporting bulk commercial grain and related food commodities only; ensure the on-site control and monitoring of cargo from Ukrainian ports; and report on shipments facilitated through the initiative,” the statement read.
The U.S. government led a financial sanctions campaign against Russian entities and companies on February 24 in response to Russia’s latest war with neighboring Ukraine. The sanctions have continued over the past six months but do not apply to Russian agricultural commodities including fertilizer, according to a fact sheet published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on July 14.
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