South African and Ivorian officials have praised a deal between Ukraine and Russia that permits the sale of wheat and maize from Ukrainian ports.
It is the first significant agreement between the governments of Moscow and Kyiv since the conflict broke out in February. It aims to lower the high price of grain and restore supplies to nations that are currently experiencing food shortages.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the blockade of grain had forced African governments to critically consider future food supplies while speaking at a news conference in Pretoria with his Ivorian counterpart.
The South African President said that 1.3 billion people who live in African countries should be considered at risk and in actual danger due to the continent’s continuous dependency on vast quantities of cereals from that region of the world. As a result, we must take this clash as a wake-up call.
President Alassane Ouattara, who is now in South Africa on a state visit also said that Africa must be at the top of the list of countries receiving grain.
The president of Ivory Coast expressed his satisfaction at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to ratify the plan, which was sponsored by Turkey and the UN.
“I also indicated to [Ukraine’s] President Volodymyr Zelensky that I wanted the supply to be made a priority for the African continent, because of the fragility of its economies and the social situation in many countries,” he said.
