Kuleba discusses with Pakistan leadership restoration of Black Sea Grain Initiative

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine paid a visit to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad – the first in the history of bilateral relations.

This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, according to Ukrinform.

Kuleba was received by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, and held talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The heads of Ukrainian and Pakistani diplomacy discussed threats to global food security against the backdrop of Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

"Thanks to the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, since July 2022 world flour prices have dropped by almost 20%. At the same time, Russia's withdrawal from the grain agreement will lead to a significant increase in food prices, particularly in Asia. Millions of lives around the world have become hostages of the Kremlin's hunger games. We must join our efforts to prevent Russia from weaponizing food," Kuleba emphasized.

He emphasized that Ukraine is determined to remain a reliable food supplier to global markets, in particular to Pakistan. The minister thanked Pakistan for its willingness to join international efforts to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative and find a solution that would allow the export of Ukrainian grains to continue.

The heads of foreign affairs also discussed steps to intensify bilateral cooperation. They agreed to hold political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the near future and pace up preparations for the inaugural meeting of the Ukrainian-Pakistani Commission on Economic Cooperation.

"Ukraine is interested in increasing the volume of bilateral trade, starting mutually beneficial projects in the areas of digitization of public services, mechanical engineering, and agriculture, as well as deepening cooperation in the field of education," Kuleba said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba arrived in Islamabad on an official visit. Prior to that, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy visited New York, where he participated in the meeting of the UN Security Council and the open debate of the UN General Assembly regarding the situation in Ukraine.