MOSCOW, Aug 5 Freetown would like to receive Russian fertilizers, but not necessarily free of charge, said Sierra Leone's Ambassador to Russia Mohamed Yongawo.
«We can't talk about food security without fertilizers. Russia has offered to supply them to some African countries free of charge. Sierra Leone would also like to receive fertilizers, if not for free, then at least as part of business cooperation,» Yongawo said.
He noted that Russia produces some of the best fertilizers in the world, Freetown needs them.
«We would like to discuss this with Russia,» the ambassador said.
Answering a question about Freetown's assessment of the failure to comply with the Russia-UN memorandum, he said that food security, in particular the problem of grains, affects the interests of the poorest countries and the world as a whole.
«We call on all parties to adhere to the agreements,» Yongawo stressed.
“If food products are not exported, this leads to an increase in prices. Sanctions also affect them,” the ambassador said.
In particular, he noted that Sierra Leone is experiencing food supply disruptions.
«If there are interruptions in shipping by sea, this negatively affects countries like Sierra Leone. They lead to higher prices,» Yongawo said.
The grain deal ceased on July 18, the Russian Federation notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN of its objection to its extension. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously noted that the terms of the deal with Russia were not kept, despite the efforts of the UN, because Western countries were not going to keep their promises. Putin has repeatedly pointed out that the West exported most of the Ukrainian grain to their states, and the main goal of the deal — the supply of grain to needy countries, including African ones — was never realized.
Last autumn, the President of the Russian Federation noted that Moscow was ready to supply the poorest countries with all the grain that was intended for them under the grain deal free of charge.