Sierra Leone Welcomes Grain Deal Extension: Ambassador to Russia
10:40 GMT 19.11.2022 (Updated: 11:37 GMT 17.07.2023)
© AP PhotoA harvester collects wheat in Semikarakorsky District of Rostov-on-Don region near Semikarakorsk, Southern Russia, Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
© AP Photo
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Sierra Leone commends the decision to extend the grain deal for four more months, while stressing that sanctions should not target foodstuffs and medicines at all, Sierra Leone Ambassador to Russia Mohamed Yongawo told Sputnik.
Yongawo said it was "good" that the deal was prolonged, adding that more cooperation of the parties of the initiative would also be welcome in the future.
"It will be good that in the future they are able to sit together and agree on the parameters of the deal to ensure that every party of the deal is satisfied with the implementation," the ambassador said.
The extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is of great importance to Sierra Leone, not only in terms of supplies but also in the context of market stabilization, the senior diplomat said.
"Like every other country in the world, we are, of course, happy, because we actually know the pressures that our country is undergoing because of the strategies of food in the world market. Because the thing is: grains do not go straight to Sierra Leone from Ukraine or from Russia, they go to third countries from where Sierra Leone gets these grains," Yongawo said.
The ambassador underscored that food and medication should never be blocked regardless of the circumstances, as restricting their free movement puts the lives of many people at risk.