Lavrov added - in a speech at the Moscow Institute of International Relations today - that work on the supply of grain to 6 African countries has already begun, explaining that Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Mali, Somalia and Zimbabwe will receive 50,000 tons of grain for free in the coming months.
"You will also pay the relevant expenses," the Russian foreign minister added.
Putin announced on July 27 that his country would provide grain free of charge to 6 African countries within 3 or 4 months, after Moscow suspended work on the grain transportation agreement with Ukraine across the Black Sea.
Lavrov discussed with his Turkish counterpart - during talks that took place between them in Moscow yesterday - Putin's initiative to export one million tons of grain to Turkey for later transfer, with the participation of Qatar, to poor countries.
Moscow withdrew in July from this important agreement for global food supplies, and criticized in particular the obstruction of its grain exports due to Western sanctions.
"We reiterated our conviction that the resumption of the agreement will allow for the restoration of stability," Fidan said during a press conference with his Russian counterpart.
He added that the grain deal is of vital importance to global food security, considering that a package of proposals prepared in cooperation with the United Nations constitutes an appropriate basis for resuming the initiative.
For his part, Lavrov demanded guarantees from the West that his country would also be allowed to export grain and fertilizer without hindrance. Moscow will be ready to return the grain deal, which it withdrew from in mid-July.
It is noteworthy that dozens of commercial ships have been stuck in the ports of Ukraine on the Black Sea since the start of Russia's war on this country on February 24, 2022, and some ships carrying grain were allowed to cross, according to an agreement mediated by Ankara and the United Nations, but Moscow suspended it in mid-July.
The meeting between Ministers Lavrov and Fidan aims to prepare for a meeting between Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi the day after tomorrow, according to the Kremlin today.
Saudi Arabia informed us that the Jeddah meeting was held to convince everyone of the futility of negotiations without Moscow, and there will be no joint G20 declaration that does not express our position and the roadmap for normalizing Syrian-Turkish relations under study. ~ Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Saudi Arabia had notified Russia that the Jeddah meeting was held to convince everyone of the futility of negotiations without Moscow.
Lavrov said in this regard: “Our Saudi friends told us that they want to host another meeting in this way in Jeddah,” adding that this is done only in order to convey an idea to the Western participants and Ukraine itself that any discussions are completely hopeless without the participation of Russia.
Lavrov added, during a speech he delivered to students and faculty at the Russian Diplomatic University, on the occasion of the start of the academic year: “Moscow has learned of the appeal made to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Anthony Guterres, to send his representatives to online working group meetings on the “peace formula” that he put forward. Vladimir Zelensky".
In this context, Lavrov stressed that this is unacceptable, saying: “I saw Mr. Guterres in Johannesburg, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, and I frankly told him that this violates all the principles of the secretariat’s work, because according to the Charter, it should be neutral and should not be To receive instructions from any government.”
Lavrov said that the draft roadmap for the normalization of Syrian-Turkish relations is under study, and that contacts are under way to reach a generally acceptable situation.
Lavrov added, in a speech he delivered at the Moscow Institute of International Relations on the occasion of the start of the academic year in Russia, “We handed over the draft road map on the normalization of Syrian-Turkish relations to all our colleagues in June of this year. It is now under study, and contacts are underway regarding it.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan yesterday in Moscow, where they held discussions on a number of issues, including the resumption of the grain deal, bilateral relations, the Syrian file and the Ukrainian crisis.
It is worth noting that, in December of last year, Russia hosted the first talks in 11 years between the defense ministers of Turkey and Syria, and last May it hosted a quartet meeting that included the foreign ministers of Syria, Turkey, Iran and Russia, in an effort to remove the differences between Damascus and Ankara.
On the other hand, he announced, today, Friday, that his country will not agree to adopt the declaration of the “G20” summit unless it reflects Russia’s position on global crises.
Lavrov pointed out that "the West raises the issue of Ukraine in every event of the G20, although the role of the G20 is initially supposed to make decisions regarding the stability of global financial and economic processes."
Lavrov said, speaking at the Moscow State University of International Relations, on the occasion of the start of the new academic year: “If you have decided to rewrite the powers of the “twenty”, and you want to deal with international crises, then we have presented our document that lists the conflicts that still exist and their roots are linked to the wars that they sparked. The West, if they really want to, let us discuss everything, but this would duplicate the work of the United Nations and undermine the original role of the G20.
Lavrov stressed, by saying: "In any case, there will be no joint declaration in the name of all members that does not express our position, there will be no such declaration."
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