In the final communiqué of the 17th conference in Berlin, which took place on the sidelines of the International Green Week, the heads of agriculture ministries condemned the war unleashed by Russia and its food blackmail.
The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Vitalii Koval in a commentary to Ukrinform.
According to Koval, the ministerial conference, which included 70 delegations from across the world and about 40 ministers, was very important.
“It is nice that the joint communiqué contains an entire paragraph condemning the war in Ukraine, without various double interpretations,” Koval stressed.
In his words, the document condemns attempts to make it possible to block food supply routes.
“Every person in the world has the right to food, and we should not give anyone the right to use food as a method of blackmail, to use it as a weapon. Bread is a means of assistance, not blackmail. And it is important to understand this. Today, this has been enshrined and spelled out in the communiqué,” Koval emphasized.
Among other things, the communiqué expresses concern over the wars and conflicts in the world and their effects on food security and nutrition, and highlights the human suffering they cause.
“Concerning the war in Ukraine, we reiterate our national positions and resolutions adopted at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly (A/RES/ES-11/1 and A/RES/ES-11/6). We highlight the negative added impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food security. We call for unimpeded deliveries of grain, foodstuffs, and fertilisers/inputs across the Black Sea and welcome the Grain from Ukraine Programme. This is necessary to meet the demand in developing and least developed countries, particularly those in Africa. In this context, emphasising the importance of sustaining food and energy security, we call for the cessation of military destruction and other attacks on relevant infrastructure,” the signatories noted.
A reminder that the International Green Week in Berlin is taking place on January 17-26, 2025. The exhibition includes expert conferences, panels, meetings, etc. Ukraine’s national stand presents about 15 producers and associations.
Source: Agriculture ministers at conference in Berlin condemn Russian war against Ukraine – Koval
