“It is essential to continue removing all remaining obstacles to the export of Russian fertilizers and their ingredients, including ammonia,” Guterres said in his remarks at the opening of the UN General Assembly High-Level week.
He noted that although such exports do still face obstacles, these Russian products are not subject to any sanctions.
Guterres commended the international community for the the progress achieved in eliminating indirect effects of sanctions on these exports.
He also expressed concerns over the impact of high gas prices on the production of nitrogen fertilizers, stressing that this could have negative effects on global food supply.
“This must also be addressed seriously. Without action now, the global fertilizer shortage will quickly morph into a global food shortage,” he said.
On July 22, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey signed an UN-brokered initiative to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Black Sea ports. Three key Ukrainian ports — Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne — were unblocked to resume exports. The Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center (JCC) was set up to monitor the implementation of the initiative, including ensuring that cargo ships do not carry unauthorized goods or personnel.
The UN-brokered initiative consists of two package documents. The first one, a memorandum, stipulates the obligation of the UN to remove various restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets. The second defines the algorithm for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products from the Black Sea ports controlled by Ukraine. Moscow has pointed out that the first memorandum of the grain initiative is not working yet.