Severe drought, Tunisia tightens food cooperation with Russia

During a meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied on December 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed that Moscow is ready to provide more grain to Tunis, which is struggling with food shortages due to drought.

Hạn hán nghiêm trọng, Tunisia thắt chặt hợp tác lương thực với Nga

Tunisian President Kais Saied (right) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discuss grain cooperation in the capital Tunis on December 21. (Source: AP)

Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia had good harvests “for the second or third year in a row”, affirming that the country was ready to provide additional grain aid to Tunisia.

Besides, Mr. Lavrov said, the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in all fields, especially agriculture, energy, nuclear energy and technology.

According to Mr. Lavrov, Moscow has no intention of replacing Tunisia's other partners, referring to the United States and the European Union (EU) - Tunis' key trade partners and aid providers.

Tunisia has suffered a severe drought over the past four years, severely affecting its grain harvest. The North African country is almost entirely dependent on imported grains and is in dire need of wheat and barley until at least the spring of 2024.

This summer, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country would provide free grain to six African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Zimbabwe and Somalia, as Moscow seeks to strengthen its position in Africa.

With debt at around 80% of GDP and weak economic growth, Tunisia is currently short of funds for imports.

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