Milwaukee, Oct 1 — Poland raised concerns at the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting over what it called the “weaponisation of trade in agricultural products”, saying Russia’s war against Ukraine and disruption of Black Sea trade had distorted global food supplies and hurt the Ukrainian economy.
Poland’s Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domanski, in an exclusive interview with IANS on the sidelines of the meeting here, said the issue was particularly important for his country.
“Today, we discuss the issue of weaponisation of trade in agricultural products,” Domanski said when asked about the main issues discussed by G20 countries at the meeting.
“For Poland, this is a very important issue, as we see that brutal and unprovoked Russian aggression on Ukraine caused a very substantial disruption in trade of agricultural products from Ukraine,” he said.
Domanski said the disruption of Black Sea routes had consequences extending beyond Ukraine and affecting access to food in other countries.
“And this actual blockade of the Black Sea causes very substantial distortion in access to food in some countries,” he said.
The disruption was “also, of course, hitting the Ukrainian economy”, the minister added.
Domanski said Poland used the G20 gathering in the United States to condemn Russia’s actions.
“And this is the move by Russia that needs to be condemned. And that’s what Poland did here in the United States,” he said.
Asked about India’s role in the G20 discussions, Domanski stressed New Delhi’s growing weight in the global economy.
“India is a leader. India is not only one of the largest, one of the biggest global economies, but really also a country of high GDP growth,” he said.
The minister also pointed to India’s democratic system while discussing the importance of stable trading relationships.
“I believe it’s easier to trade with democracies. It’s often easier to make business with democracies,” Domanski said.
The war has repeatedly put food security and agricultural trade on the international agenda, including at the G20, because disruptions to Ukrainian exports can affect international commodity markets and countries dependent on imported food.