On 21 April 2023, the World Food Programme sent a shipment of mineral fertilisers from Riga Port, heading for Kenya. This is the first cargo from about 200,000 tonnes of fertilisers of Russian origin owned by companies subject to the European Union’s restrictive measures and stored in the territory of Latvia.
The World Food Programme is planning to deliver some more shipments of the currently sanctioned mineral fertilisers from Latvia in order to give support to countries that need those products most.
As reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier, on 6 December 2022 the Cabinet passed a decision to respond to a request from the United Nations to reduce the negative consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine and help address the food crisis in Africa and Latin America. The Latvian Government decided to facilitate the donation, with support from the UN World Food Programme, of mineral fertilizers owned by companies sanctioned by the European Union.
Together with its foreign partners and international organisations, Latvia continues providing support for the countries that have been affected by the food crisis triggered by Russia’s war on Ukraine.