Russia's rejection of grain deal creates big problems around the world - Borrell
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated this in Brussels at a press conference before the EU summit with the countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
The EU High Representative said that he was deeply saddened to hear that Russia refused to extend the agreement. This is something very serious that will create a lot of problems for many people around the world, he stated. The EU will do everything it can, using solidarity lanes to make Ukrainian grain available to those who consume it. He condemns Russia for this decision, which is completely unjustified and turns people's hunger into a weapon.
He called Russia's attempts to accuse the EU of restricting Russian agricultural exports through sanctions complete nonsense. Previously, Josep Borrell has repeatedly emphasized that no EU sanctions relate to food, fertilizers or humanitarian aid.
The EU High Representative expressed hope that the participants of the EU-CELAC summit would be able to agree on a joint statement on Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the final document, which would be in line with the position already formulated within the UN.
CELAC was established in 2011 and unites 32 countries of these regions with a population of over 650 million people. These countries coordinate regional policy and economic cooperation.
The organization includes, in particular, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The previous EU-CELAC summit was held 8 years ago, so the meeting held on July 17 in Brussels was seen as an opportunity to develop more intensive economic and political ties between the Latin American and Caribbean region and the European Union.
