Africa seeks absolute freedom to buy and negotiate with fertilizer and grain suppliers, including Russia, president of the Brazzaville Foundation, aimed at promoting African initiatives for peace, Jean-Yves Ollivier told Sputnik Africa, commenting on the importance that G20 chair South Africa attaches to food security amid sanctions against Russia, a major supplier of grain and fertilizers.
"The problem is the imposition of US sanctions, mainly against Russia, which are focused on grains, but we should also mention fertilizers. Fertilizers are a very important element of food security. And Russia is a major player in the supply of fertilizers, as we know very well," the foundation's president said.
African countries are therefore keen to trade with the Russians to ensure their food security, he noted.
"This is not just an individual position of South Africa, it is a common position of Africa as a whole," the speaker emphasized.
Moreover, African countries consistently show considerable interest in Russian grain supplies, Eduard Zernin, chairman of the board of the Russian Grain Exporters Union, told a Russian media outlet in late November, citing the best price/quality ratio of Russian products on the world market.
As chair of the G20, South Africa will make food security a priority, President Cyril Ramaphosa said at the Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Poverty and Hunger session on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brazil's capital Rio de Janeiro in November.