Ukraine highlights the illicit supply of grain through the port of Abu Kir and urges Egypt to adhere to international law.
Andriy Sybiha / © Getty Images
Despite repeated warnings, the vessel ASOMATOS was permitted to unload 26.9 thousand tons of stolen Ukrainian wheat in the Egyptian port of Abu Kir. This marks the fourth instance of alleged “laundering” of Russian grain in Egyptian ports since April.
This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha.
The vessel was allowed to unload even though, just four days prior, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine had officially appealed to the Ministry of Justice of Egypt for legal assistance concerning this cargo. The request pertained to grain illegally exported from occupied Crimea by the sanctioned company “Agro-Fregat.” The Ukrainian side provided all necessary data and legal grounds for the seizure of the vessel and its cargo.
Sybiha emphasized that for many years, Ukraine has been a reliable guarantor of Egypt’s food security, and therefore, cannot comprehend why partners continue to accept stolen Ukrainian grain.
“Ukraine has been and remains a reliable guarantor of food security for Egypt. That is precisely why we cannot understand why the acceptance of stolen grain persists,” he stated.
The minister also recalled that Ukraine endured the Holodomor – a genocide through artificial famine orchestrated by Moscow. Today, as Russia once again exports Ukrainian grain, it evokes painful historical parallels.
Consequently, Ukraine has called upon Egypt and other states to abide by the norms of international law, fulfill their commitments, and uphold the principles of bilateral relations. Stolen goods originating from occupied territories should be seized, not accepted.
“Looting is not trade, and tolerating such actions only fuels further aggression,” Sybiha stressed.
Scandal with stolen Ukrainian grain — latest news
As a reminder, recently, the Israeli company “Zentsiper,” one of the largest grain importers in the country, refused to unload a Russian bulker carrying stolen Ukrainian grain. Ukraine hailed this as a positive step and urged against becoming complicit in the crime.
Earlier, it became known that Israeli ports were receiving vessels with cargo that Russia was illegally exporting from the occupied territories of Ukraine, specifically including stolen grain.
Concurrently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel stated that the evidence provided in Ukraine’s request for legal assistance regarding the grain vessel was insufficient.
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