- nytimes.com
VIVA – The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, wants the world leaders who are attending the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali to take steps to handle the food crisis and ensure food security for all the people of the world.
In a speech delivered virtually by Volodymyr Zelensky at the G20 Summit in Bali on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, he said that food is a basic right of every person in the world.
On the occasion, Zelensky told all the heads of state and organizations present to join the Grains from Ukraine initiative, explaining that it had started in his country and the first ship had left for Ethiopia with 27,000 tons of grain.
"This is the amount of food for almost 100,000 people per year. Probably, many such ships will come out of Ukraine, and therefore many people in poor countries can be saved from hunger," the President of Ukraine remarked.
Suasana pertemuan KTT G20 di Bali
- Tangkapan layar Youtube Sekretariat Presiden
Zelensky stated that after the partial lifting of Russia's blockade of some Ukrainian ports, his country has exported more than 10 million tons of food by the sea.
"We can increase exports by another million tons per month," Zelensky added.
Therefore, he proposed to expand the grain export initiative to other ports, in particular to the ports of Mykolaiv and 'Olvia' in the Mykolaiv region. He also wanted the leaders of the countries present at the G20 summit to join the initiative.
"I think our grain export initiative deserves an indefinite extension, and not depending on when the war ends. This year, Ukraine can export 45 million tons of food, and let a significant part of it be directed to those who suffer the most," Zelensky remarked.
Zelensky added that every country can join in with a definite contribution and participate in the efforts to achieve food security.
