At a briefing, Deputy UN Secretary-General Representative Farhan Haq conveyed that Rebeca Greenspan, who leads the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), continues to maintain contacts to monitor Russian food and fertilizer exports. The briefing underscored ongoing efforts to support progress where feasible, with Haq noting that there are no major developments to announce at the moment, but commitments to contribute to any tangible advancement remain in place. The statements reflect a persistent focus on the flow of essential commodities amid broader sanctions and international diplomacy and acknowledge the work of UN bodies in facilitating dialogue among key stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the former Prime Minister of Estonia, asserted that EU sanctions do not block grain and fertilizer exports from Russia. She made this comment during her arrival at a gathering of EU heads of state and government, highlighting debates about the impact and scope of sanctions on Russia’s agricultural trade.
Earlier, the Russian embassy in Riga described Latvia’s stance as hypocritical, claiming that Latvia holds 70% of Russian fertilizers destined for the most impoverished regions as part of the grain deal at ports. This claim appears in the context of broader disputes over the distribution and access to agricultural inputs under international agreements and sanctions regimes. Attribution: UN briefings and official statements from participating governments, as reported by various international agencies.