Qatar welcomes Russian-Ukrainian grain export agreement

Qatar has welcomed the agreement signed in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine, backed by the United Nations and Turkey, to resume grains exports. Qatar said that the move was a step in the right direction to address the global shortage in food products.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed in a statement Qatar's appreciation of the UN and Turkey's efforts in helping reach the agreement.

The agreement was signed by ministers from both countries in Istanbul, Turkiye, which brokered the deal along with the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were present at the signing of the deal.

Guterres called the agreement a beacon of hope, possibility & relief. “It will help avoid a food shortage catastrophe for millions worldwide,” he tweeted.

The secretary-general said the agreement “took immense effort and commitment by all sides. It must be fully implemented — because the world desperately needs it to tackle the global food crisis.”

The UN will remain closely involved in working for the agreement’s success, he added.

The Qatar foreign ministry also expressed Qatar's hopes that the move will be a step on the way to peacefully resolving the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.