Russia and France have agreed to inspect wheat shipments before exporting them to Egypt, soothing some of Cairo’s concerns over the quality of its grain imports, Egypt’s Trade Minister said Thursday.
Egypt, one of the world’s top wheat importers, has been locked in a dispute over grain quality since an investigation was ordered into Russian wheat imported by an Egyptian firm in May.
In an effort to fix this, the Egyptian Trade Ministry announced new wheat import measures June 23, including a regulation requiring state quality certificates. Major exporters did not have mechanisms to issue such documents.
“We signed an agreement together [with Russia that] for further shipments there will be a government agency that is inspecting wheat before shipping,” Rachid Mohamed Rachid said in an interview. “Russians have accepted that and the French have also accepted,” he said, adding that Russia had agreed to the inspections when he visited Moscow last month, while the French deal was issued a few weeks ago.
Analysts have said the new regulations to ensure the quality of wheat imports have raised the bar so high that it risked deterring some key suppliers.
But Rachid said he thought the system would work, and hoped the measures, which also include doubling financial sureties for inspectors, would not lead to a rise in the cost of wheat.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.