Western nations postpone discharge of Russian fertilizer aid for poor African countries

(MENAFN) The Moscow Foreign Ministry revealed on Sunday that Western nations have not yet released Russian fertilizer shipments designated for humanitarian assistance to impoverished African countries.

A press release from the ministry has disclosed that a substantial quantity of over 96,000 tons of Russian fertilizer is currently being held in ports located within the European Union, impeding its intended distribution.

“As part of the Russia-UN Memorandum on September 7, 2022… Russia took the initiative to send 262,000 tons of mineral fertilizers blocked in the ports of Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, and the Netherlands as humanitarian aid to the poorest countries… Since then, however, only two deliveries have been completed,” the ministry declared, indicating a delivery of 20,000 tons to Malawi as well as a following shipment of 34,000 tons to Kenya.

“The release of three other planned shipments – to Nigeria (34,000 tons), Zimbabwe (23,000 tons), and Sri Lanka (55,000 tons) – has been stalled, despite the fact that all preparatory procedures have been completed,” it continued.

The condition is “yet another example of the hypocrisy of Western countries,” the ministry said. It stressed that the EU has constantly stated that restrictions do not straight implement to Russian fertilizers and food shipments, but in fact Brussels carries on to block “even purely humanitarian, free deliveries” of Russian supplies.

The Moscow Foreign Ministry has emphasized that Russian exporters are encountering a number of challenges attributed to sanctions. These difficulties include encountering high taxes and steep charges for storage, transshipment, and various logistical services. Additionally, the country faces payment hurdles, primarily due to its disconnection from the SWIFT interbank messaging system.

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