The Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) Wednesday came under discussion between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, as the two held a telephone conversation on bilateral matters, the Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement. The initiative permits food and fertiliser exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports — Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.
Recognising the importance of this initiative and its potential impact on disruption of global food supply chains causing food inflation and food-security-related challenges, FM Bilawal underscored the need for concerted efforts to find viable solutions that would in particular benefit developing countries already under economic strain, the statement read. He expressed the hope that all parties involved in the initiative would engage in constructive dialogue to revive it. In this regard, the minister reiterated Pakistan’s support for international efforts for restoring the deal by addressing the concerns of all sides.
Bilawal also informed Lavrov on his discussions on BSGI with his counterparts of Ukraine and Turkiye, the US Secretary of State and the European Union High Representative. Meanwhile, the Russian minister shared his government’s perspective on the issue, after which the two Foreign Ministers agreed to remain in close contact on the matter.
