UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2023) Foreign businesses are hesitant to contact Russian food and fertilizer suppliers out of fear of sanctions, and the UN Secretariat has not yet helped to solve this problem, although it has committed to doing it, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia said in an interview with Sputnik.
"We are told that the sanctions do not apply to food and fertilizers. But businesses still do not dare to take serious steps in relations with Russian suppliers, as well as our banks. And the UN Secretariat, which committed itself to solving these problems, cannot achieve this," Nebenzia said.
This, in particular, also applies to the shipment of Russian fertilizers to countries in need in Africa, blocked in the ports of Europe, which Moscow allowed to deliver free of charge, the diplomat said.
According to the permanent representative, the first batch of Russian fertilizers stuck in Europe could not be delivered to Malawi from September 2022 until the beginning of February 2023.
"The shipment began only on February 7. The remaining 240,000 tonnes still cannot leave European ports," Nebenzia said.
