Russia and Ukrainian cereals

Attending the UN General Assembly, president Klaus Iohannis called on Russia to unblock the transport of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea.

Corina Cristea, 21.09.2023, 14:00

Romania
is a direct neighbour to the continued war of aggression of Russia against
Ukraine and we acted, with all our energy, to bring a solid contribution to
regional and international security and stability, said the Romanian president
in his address at the UN National Assembly, before adding: This war
demonstrated that the Black Sea needs more global attention, as it is of
strategic importance for transatlantic security:

Our region, the wider Black Sea area, must be
protected against the effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine and its hybrid
war and malign interference. Romania has been constantly arguing on the need to
keep the so-called protracted or frozen conflicts in the region high on our
agenda. Romania has also been at the forefront of supporting, in a multidimensional
manner, the vulnerable partners in the region. We have thus offered substantial
support to our neighbour, the Republic of Moldova, the country most affected by
the war, after, of course, Ukraine itself.

The Romanian president again urged Russia to cease blocking the Black
Sea Grain Initiative, emphasising that by withdrawing from the deal and by
attacking Ukrainian ports, it is exacerbating the global food crisis. Iohannis
recalled that Romania facilitated the delivery of significant amounts of
Ukrainian grain, namely more than 25.5 million tonnes, and promised that his
country would not let down its most vulnerable partners, especially those from
least developed countries, including in Africa.

The Romanian president also had talks about the transit and export of
Ukrainian grain with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of
the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Bulgaria’s deputy prime
minister, Mariya Gabriel. At the end of the talks,
president Klaus Iohannis said solutions were found to manage the export of
Ukrainian grain through the creation of a system to authorise these exports, so
that Romanian farmers should not be affected. He said a significant part of the
transit goes through Romania and it is important to manage undeclared exports,
for example to markets in Romania. He concluded by saying that the Romanian
government together with the Ukrainian side found solutions that were also
approved by the European Commission. (CM)