On November 18, Russian Deputy Ministers of Agriculture, Sergei Levin and Oksana Lut, spoke at the Russian-Arab business forum “Cooperation in the field of food security. Trade and Investment Opportunities ”. During the event, which was attended by representatives of 25 countries of the world, the issues of ensuring food security, as well as strengthening trade and economic cooperation between Russia and the Arab countries in the agricultural sector were considered.

In her welcoming speech, Oksana Lut noted that in the current conditions, when a number of countries are faced with a shortage of basic food products, collective food security is becoming one of the priorities of international cooperation. The increase in trade with Arab partners is a vivid example of successful cooperation in the agro-industrial sphere: over the past five years, trade in agricultural products between the countries has grown by almost 20% and at the end of 2019 reached $ 5.4 billion.

According to Sergei Levin, Russia is one of the largest suppliers of agricultural products to the Arab market. Since the beginning of the year, exports to the Arab world have grown by 17% and have already exceeded $ 3 billion. Key positions in its structure are occupied by cereals, vegetable oils, confectionery, poultry meat. At the same time, our country has significant potential for further increasing the volume of exports of agricultural products to Arab countries. The increase in yields and the development of technologies, as well as the introduction of new agricultural land into circulation will contribute to an increase in shipments of domestic wheat. In addition, the market for halal products is a promising area - Russia is already supplying goods of this category to the countries of the Persian Gulf, the Middle East and North Africa.

“The development of our cooperation has become especially relevant in the light of the changes caused by the new coronavirus pandemic. The introduction of quarantine restrictions in different countries of the world once again reminded of the importance of establishing uninterrupted supply chains of goods to ensure food security. Russia is ready to act as a reliable partner for the Arab countries in the supply of a wide range of agricultural products, including products with a high degree of processing, ”said Sergei Levin.