First Shipment of Russian Grain to Venezuela to Be Dispatched in August

The first shipment under the Caracas-Moscow deal of Russian grain deliveries will be dispatched to Venezuela on August 9-10 and will be a crucial step in developing bilateral relations, Venezuelan Ambassador to Russia Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa told Sputnik on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Venezuela has been hit by food shortages amid the country's ongoing economic crisis. Venezuelan Minister for External Commerce and International Trade Jesus Faria has already noted the role of Russia's grain imports in tackling the food crisis.

"An agreement on the delivery of 600,000 tonnes of Russian grain was signed recently with two Russian companies. We [Venezuela] would like to have a reliable supplier of this raw material that is extremely important for us. On August 9-10, the first shipment of grain will be dispatched to Venezuela. It is extremely important, as such issues bring us [Russia and Venezuela] closer together. We have got specific instructions from President [Nicolas] Maduro to develop our relations," Tortosa said.

The ambassador also indicated Venezuela's interest in exporting fruit to Russia.

"We would like to supply Venezuelan tropical fruits to Russia. We are working with Russian Ministry of Agriculture, especially with regard to sanitary standards. Our avocados are big and tasty. We would like to have an opportunity to supply them to Russia," he added.