First shipment of Russian fertilizer under EU sanctions departs Latvia for Kenya

RIGA. April 24 (Interfax/BNS) - A shipment of Russian mineral fertilizers subject to the European Union's sanctions departed Riga Port for Kenya on Friday in line with a United Nations World Food Program decision, the Latvian Foreign Ministry told the Leta news agency on Saturday.

This was the first shipment of 200,000 tonnes of mineral fertilizers belonging to Russian companies sanctioned by the EU and stored in Latvia. The World Food Program is planning to deliver more shipments of mineral fertilizers under Western sanctions from Latvia in order to provide support to countries that need those products most, the ministry said.

On December 6, 2022, the Latvian government decided to respond to a request from the UN to reduce the negative effects of the fighting in Ukraine and help address the food crisis in Africa and Latin America. With support from the UN World Food Program, the Latvian government decided to facilitate the donation of mineral fertilizers to countries needing them by permitting their transportation from Latvia by the Uralchem company sanctioned by the EU as long as it does not benefit financially from this, it said.

The future of the 200,000 tonnes of mineral fertilizers originating from Russia and stored in Latvia has long been uncertain in the wake of the EU sanctions imposed on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.