South Africa is trying to convince Russia to return to "grain agreement", - Bloomberg
South Africa is working to persuade Russia to return to talks on the "grains agreement" it abandoned in July.
This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Naledi Pandor, Censor.NET reports with reference to Bloomberg.
"We are also making every effort to persuade the Russian side to engage in the Black Sea Grain Agreement and are engaging with all relevant parties to see if we can find a solution to ensure the opening of the Black Sea Initiative," she said during talks with her Japanese counterpart Eshimasa Hayashi in Pretoria.
Hayashi said Japan "regrets" Russia's termination of the "grain agreement" and hopes to work to restore it. The two ministers confirmed the need for cooperation between the two countries in the field of food security in Africa.
Pandora explained the results of the Russia-Africa summit. Hayashi is on a tour of African countries, which he considers relatively friendly towards Russia, and Uganda and Ethiopia are on the agenda, the publication notes.
South Africa has taken a non-aligned stance on Russia's war against Ukraine, drawing criticism from some of its biggest trading partners, including the US.
Pandora said South Africa would continue to push for an end to the war.
"Our country remains non-aligned in this conflict because we see all wars as wars in which we should not take sides," she said.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to justify Moscow's withdrawal from the grain deal at a summit with African leaders. These countries are feeling the effects of rising food prices that fueled his war against Ukraine. South Africa was excluded from the promise of free grain that Putin made at a meeting of six African countries with strong ties to Moscow.
