India calls for international cooperation amid food and fuel challenges

India has reiterated its support for the UN's efforts in continuing the Black Sea Grain Initiative and expressed hope for an early resolution to the present impasse. On Monday (July 17, 2023), Russia said it was terminating the implementation of the UN-brokered deal that allowed food exports from Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia through a shipping corridor in the Black Sea. Responding to a question at the weekly media briefing on Thursday (July 20, 2023), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi expressed hope for an early resolution of the matter. Referring to the statement made by India’s Permanent Representative at the UN in New York, he said that India had welcomed the signing and subsequent extensions of this UN-facilitated Black Sea Grain Agreement or Deal, and the fertilizer package that went with it. “We have supported the efforts of the UN Secretary General in continuing this Black Sea Grain Initiative…and I know that on 20th it was discontinued by Russian side. And we hope for an early resolution to the present impasse,” he said. “We have been highlighting the need to address the food, fertilizer and fuel challenges that are affecting developing countries due to the conflict in Ukraine,” he added. The Black Sea Grain Initiative The Black Sea Grain Initiative was a collaborative agreement between Russia and Ukraine, with the involvement of Turkey and the United Nations (UN), established during the 2022 Russian military operation against Ukraine. Its primary aim was to ensure the safe transportation of grain and related foodstuffs and fertilizers, including ammonia, from the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne. Under this initiative, specially demined corridors were created for ships to traverse the Black Sea, and Turkey was responsible for inspecting all merchant vessels. Simultaneously, another agreement allowed the UN to facilitate unimpeded exports of Russian food, fertilizer, and raw materials. This initiative played a vital role in maintaining crucial grain exports from Ukraine, accounting for over 40% of the country's total grain exports. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which ran from July 2022 to July 2023, came to an abrupt end when Russia decided to terminate it. This move has raised concerns among the international community, including India, about the implications it would have on global food security and prices.