This summer, the Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister asked for Norwegian support for the temporary storage of grain in Ukraine. The request was rejected by Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap).
The refusal emerges from the report that Huitfeldt sent to the Control and Constitution Committee of Storting.
Earlier this fall, the committee asked the government to inform the Storting on how Norway has handled the civilian aid required by Ukraine since the Russian invasion of the country on February 24 this year.
In the report, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes that on July 22 this year, the Development Minister received an investigation from the Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister for Agricultural Policy and Food, Markiyan Dmytrasevych, on Norwegian support for temporary storage. of wheat in Ukraine.
“The investigation was a follow-up to a meeting between the two underlings
Lugano Conference 4-5 July. It was assessed whether such support could be included in a new agreement with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on support for their “Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities” (SFERA).
But the government said no to Ukraine’s request:
“However, this would entail an allocation of Norwegian support, which would be contrary to the established UN policy which would be to the detriment of vulnerable and crisis-affected developing countries, eg Africa. It was therefore concluded that Norway would not he would have accepted this request at that time. This was communicated to the FAO and the Ukrainian authorities “, writes Huitfeldt in the letter to the Monitoring Committee.
The government has also given priority to the storage of grain in Norway: in the national budget it is proposed to use it 20 million crowns to establish an emergency grain depot here at home.
On Monday, the government also announced that Norway will be allocating NOK 9.5 million to the World Food Program (WFP) to send 50,000 tons from Ukraine to the Horn of Africa.
– Gives 50 million
VG asked if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to investigate why Norway has said no to Ukraine.
Communications Advisor Ane Haavardsdatter Lunde at the Foreign Ministry says Norway has given 50 million Danish crowns to support farmers in Ukraine through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to reach planting season this spring.
– There are many initiatives to help empty the grain silos in Ukraine in order to increase the storage capacity of grain for the current harvest. The Black Sea Grain Initiative is a major move in this regard, writes Lunde in an email to VG.
He goes on to say that the Ministry of Transport is continuously evaluating whether Norway should provide assistance through the EU solidarity lane network, which contributes to the transport of grain by rail and road.
– We also recently entered into an agreement with FAO’s special fund SFERA of NOK 100 million to support food security and agricultural measures in humanitarian situations in Africa south of the Sahara, writes Lunde.
Support the embassy
In the letter to the monitoring committee, it also appears that the Ukrainian embassy in Norway notified the foreign ministry on September 30 that the embassy is having trouble covering current expenses.
Here the government is more positive and the foreign ministry is now considering how Norway can help the embassy.
– Norway considers that it is in the common interest that Ukraine has a functioning representation in Oslo in this situation. We are therefore looking for opportunities to assist the Ukrainian embassy in this, writes Lunde.
