Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani tweeted his concern about the decision, saying that food shortages in Africa would affect all countries. He said Italy was working to find alternative solutions. The issue would be addressed at a summit on food security that Italy will host in Rome on July 24 in coordination with the United Nations.

On the same day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed concern about the risk of millions of people facing food shortages in the coming time. He said the UN will continue to make efforts to ensure that agricultural products and fertilizers from Ukraine and Russia can access markets “without hindrance”.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Photo: VNA

On the same day, Austria urged Russia to maintain the Black Sea grain agreement. On July 17, the Austrian Foreign Ministry asked Russia to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The Austrian Foreign Ministry stressed that this agreement is important for global food security.

Expressing disappointment, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said that the extension of the Black Sea Grains Initiative is important to control food prices and avoid destabilizing the market.

German government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said Germany continues to call on Russia to return to the Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine. She stressed that the deal is important for global food security.

In July 2022, the United Nations and Türkiye mediated the Black Sea Grains Initiative to help resolve the global food crisis that has been exacerbated by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the world's two leading grain exporters. Under the initiative, Russia and the United Nations signed a memorandum of understanding on facilitating the supply of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to world markets, while Ukraine signed an agreement with Turkey and the United Nations on safe exports of food and fertilizers from Ukraine across the Black Sea. The agreement has been extended three times and expired on July 17. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the part of the agreement related to Russia had not been implemented and that as soon as the remaining parties fully complied with their commitments to Moscow, the country would "immediately" return to implementing the agreement.

VNA

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