'Greedy' West Uses Grain Deal to Stockpile Food: Nicaraguan FM
09:47 29.06.2023 (Updated: 10:50 03.08.2023)
© Sputnik . Alexander Galperin
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UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik), Lenka White - Nicaragua is interested in joining BRICS because the bloc promotes a multipolar order and a stronger unity among developing nations, Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada told Sputnik.
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada told Sputnik that the 'greedy' western countries of using the Black Sea Grain Initiative to supply for themselves.
"Russia really has the will and the solidarity to feed the population of the world. But it's very clear that the West likes to keep all these products and for business purposes, and because they're very greedy," Moncada said. "It is very clear that it doesn't always reach the population of the world. It’s a complex theme and it should be done in a humanitarian way."
Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN reached an agreement on July 22, 2022 to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships carrying food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. On May 18, 2023, Russia extended the deal, called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, for 60 days, until July 17.
The deal is an integral part of a package agreement. The second part - the Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years - envisions the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers, the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT, the resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services, the restoration of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and a number of other measures. Moscow says this part of the package agreement has not been implemented yet.
BRICS
Moncada has also confirmed his nation's interest in joining BRICS.
"It’s logical because it's a new way, new world, where developing countries can have better unity and have better development, a better world, a multipolar world," Denis Moncada said.
Managua and Moscow are having conversations with respect to conducting trade in national currencies, including when paying for Russian wheat, Denis Moncada told.
"It's a topic [switching to national currencies] of conversations that is universal among friends that are fighting against US hegemony. These are necessary discussions. This mess started conversations that we're sustaining among our representatives and our banking representatives," Moncada said.
The foreign minister also said Nicaragua would like to pay for Russian wheat in either rubles or cordoba.
In April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Nicaragua as part of his Latin American tour.
Nord Stream terrorist act
Managua considers the sabotage on the Nord Stream pipeline an act of state terrorism by the West, Moncada said.
"This is a very clear instance of a terrorist act by countries that are enemies of the Russian Federation," Moncada said. "The government of Nicaragua clearly opposes these western attempts to practice state terrorism. And we really believe in the sovereignty of countries."
"It's very clear, which countries execute these acts - the NATO, the USA, their allies - against the countries that are trying to defend their security and severity," Moncada said.
Denmark, Germany and Norway have left Russia out of their investigations into the attack, prompting Moscow to launch its own investigation of charges of international terrorism.
The Nord Stream pipelines, built to deliver gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions in September 2022. The pipeline's operator, Nord Stream AG, said that the damage was unprecedented and it was impossible to estimate the time repairs might take.
UN exploited
Many nations are trying to exploit the United Nations in their own favor, Denis Moncada argued.
"The UN is an organization that has the goals to contribute to peace, security and stability in the world, and achieve a better world. Obviously, a lot of powers try to instrumentalize it in their favor," Moncada said. "But the peoples are fighting through international law, through the Charter of United Nations to have a full participation in a full UN in a positive way within the Charter or the United Nations trying to modify, refound it, so that we have a UN, that works."
The foreign minister also called on other countries to come together to defend against these measures.
When asked about the plans for the upcoming UN General Assembly high-level week, Moncada pointed out that Nicaragua tries to bring policy, improve solidarity, defend the international law and the UN Charter as well as solidarity with all the countries impacted by unilateral measures, including by the United States and other nations.
