Russian Foreign Minister Tours Four African Countries to Discuss Food Crisis Issues

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet consecutively with the leadership of four African countries, including Egypt, over five days to discuss issues such as the food crisis triggered by the Ukraine situation.

According to foreign media on the 24th, Lavrov, who arrived in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, last night, is scheduled to meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry today to discuss wheat supply issues.

Egypt has purchased 11 to 13 million tons of wheat annually from Russia and Ukraine. However, due to the Ukraine situation blocking export routes of major raw material exporters Russia and Ukraine, causing a sharp rise in prices of grains and other products, Egypt has blocked exports of wheat, vegetable oil, corn, and others citing food security concerns.

In this meeting, both sides are expected to exchange views not only on food supply issues but also on the energy sector and the Libyan civil war. After completing his schedule in Egypt, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov plans to visit Ethiopia, Uganda, and the Republic of the Congo in succession.

Earlier, on the 22nd, Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations, and T?rkiye (Turkey) reached a final agreement on a four-party negotiation plan to allow the export of Ukrainian grain and Russian grain and fertilizers through the Black Sea route, which had been blocked due to the Ukraine situation.

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