Zelensky announces launch of Grain from Ukraine program, partners making donations
MOSCOW. Nov 28 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has announced the launch of the Grain from Ukraine program, which will supply Ukrainian foods to poor countries in Asia and Africa.
Zelensky made the announcement at the Food Security Summit in Kiev on Saturday, the Ukrainian media said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the prime ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Romania and Belgium, and the Hungarian president took part in the summit in the online and offline formats.
"At least 60 ships will leave Ukrainian ports for countries running the risk of famine by the end of next spring under the initiative," Zelensky said.
"Almost 50 ships have departed from our ports to date to deliver 12 million tonnes of agricultural products to 40 countries of the world," he said.
In turn, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said at the conference that the Ukrainian government had allotted UAH 900 million to buy corn for poor counties in Asia and Africa, such as Sudan, Yemen, Kenya and Nigeria.
UN Secretary-General Guterres said at the conference that the UN would continue to support the Joint Coordination Center, which operates under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The Grain Initiative is very important for overcoming instability and hunger, he said.
The Ukrainian media quoted German Federal Chancellor Scholz as saying at the conference that Germany would additionally allot 15 million euros to supply Ukrainian grain within the framework of the World Food Program.
The Ukrainian media also said with the reference to the Canadian government that Ottawa would contribute 30 million Canadian dollars (about $22.4 million) as humanitarian financing of Ukrainian grain deliveries to countries struggling with acute food shortages.
Belgium will contribute 10 million euros, alongside 6 million euros to be contributed by France in addition to $14 million allotted earlier as humanitarian funding of Ukrainian grain deliveries to countries in dire need for food.
The program will help meet the food needs of so many people in the world and stabilize prices, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said at the Food Security Summit in Kiev on Saturday.
The Grain from Ukraine program, initiated by Zelensky, makes a big input in the provision of global food security, French President Macron said in a video address at the summit. He announced the allotment of additional 6 million euros for Ukrainian grain transportation and distribution by the World Food Program to Yemen and Sudan.
Macron noted that France had already allotted $14 million to help the UN World Food Program deliver 25,000 tonnes of wheat donated by Ukraine to Somalia.
Japan is also planning to make a contribution. It will provide a $14-million emergency grain to ensure the delivery of wheat to Somalia via the UN World Food Program, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.
According to the Ukrainian media, the leaders of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia also supported the Grain from Ukraine program and declared further effort to bolster the existent corridors for Ukrainian grain exports and to open the new ones.
A total of 8.4 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds have been supplied worldwide by transit (via Romania) since the beginning of the crisis, and an increase in transit of Ukrainian exports is expected in the coming months, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said in his video address to the Food Security Summit in Kiev on Saturday.
For his part, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at the summit that Bulgaria had transported about 200,000 tonnes of grain from Ukraine along the Danube in the recent months, and the transportation project would be continued.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic backed the work on new corridors to deliver Ukrainian foods within the framework of the EU's Route of Solidarity project.
Hungary will allot funds for the transportation of Ukrainian foods under the Grain from Ukraine Initiative and will provide logistic support, the Ukrainian media quoted Hungarian President Katalin Novak as saying.
Novak said at the Food Security Summit that Hungary supports Ukraine at the bilateral level, has allotted over 172 million euros, and has pledged to allot another $3.5 million to transport 10,000 tonnes of wheat and foods.
According to the Ukrainian media, Poland will allot 20 million euros for the Grain from Ukraine program, as promised by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
He said that Poland was planning to expand infrastructure on the border with Ukraine to transport Ukrainian grain and had started large allocations to this end.
In turn, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the allotment of 4 million euros to the World Food Program.
Qatar will allot $20 million for buying foods for African countries under the Grain from Ukraine initiative, the Ukrainian media quoted Qatari Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani as saying at the conference.
Qatar has already allotted $5 million to the Ukrainian Health Ministry for buying ambulance vehicles and other medical equipment.
"The overall sum accumulated by us for the Grain from Ukraine initiative nears $150 million. It has been supported by 20 states. The work is ongoing," the Ukrainian media quoted Zelensky as saying at the end of the conference.
As reported earlier, the Grain from Ukraine program envisages the provision of at least 5 million people with grain by the end of spring 2023.
Ukraine has decided to allocate some of its grain reserves to African countries running the risk of famine. Some of the grain ready for export could be purchased by project participants to support the hungry countries in Asia and Africa and the Ukrainian economy.