Russia boosted wheat exports to neutral and unfriendly countries in March-April - minister

KAZAN. May 19 (Interfax) - Russia remains a reliable supplier of grain to global markets, increasing supplies of wheat to both neutral and unfriendly countries in March-April, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said at the Russia-Islamic World international economic summit in Kazan on Thursday.

"Last year, despite a global reduction in food supplies to international markets, Russia was the leading exporter of grain - we shipped 30 million tonnes to 100 countries. Most of all to Turkey, Egypt, and countries of South Asia. We remain a reliable supplier under the current conditions, as well. In March-April, we increased exports of wheat to neutral countries and even those countries that have imposed sanctions on us," Reshetnikov said.

"Our companies successfully deliver halal products to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Egypt. We see opportunities in expanding into Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. We're currently creating a unified national system for this to assess products in line with halal standards," he said.

"To further boost cooperation, we propose looking at the possibility of creating food hubs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Singapore," Reshetnikov said.

According to the Russian Grain Union, wheat was shipped to Italy and Greece, among other countries, in May.