Ms Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze:

Yes, with regard to food prices. With regard to export routes, we must do everything that can be done and undertake all possible engagement at the European level, in terms of perhaps bringing the UN on board, in trying to negotiate safe borders with the Russian Federation for exports. I think that from the diplomatic standpoint, that is probably the only option. However, Russia is bargaining and blackmailing and trying to insist that some of the sanctions against it have to be lifted in order for any exports to be made from Ukraine. I would not dismiss the channel of insistence through the UN instruments. However, at the same time, even if we did that, it would involve removing mines from the sea area. There are Ukrainian mines that are protecting the Port of Odesa and Russian mines that are in place as part of its assault on the Ukrainian sea borders.

That is in full and total violation of the law of the sea. Irrespective of any obligations, Russia is behaving that way. That means an additional demining effort, including a sea demining effort. It also foresees specific sea convoys that would work on convoying these exports. There are a lot of components to that. I am pessimistic because none of the efforts that have been made in that direction so far have produced any result. Russia has been blowing up the humanitarian corridors for people to leave the cities. It does not care. It has blown up the vehicles of members of the civilian population as they have tried to get to refuge. That is why I am very sceptical about that and about how Russia will behave.

Other important aspects have to be borne in mind. Since we do not have enough storage facilities, that could be an additional thing that might be worked on directly with the Ukrainian Government by bringing in some of the temporary possibilities for storage facilities in order that we could store some of the new crops and maybe engage in some processing on the territory of Ukraine. That could help the future of our exports. Those are practical details. I am sure our agriculture minister could go into that much more precisely.

I had a separate meeting here in Davos with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova. Moldova had prepared to receive a maximum of about 15,000 Ukrainian refugees. This is not to mention that almost 400,000 have gone through Moldovan territory, but now the Moldovan people are hosting 95,000 Ukrainian refugees in their homes. Moldova is hosting maybe 3,000 to 4,000 people in the facilities it has prepared for refugees but, even without the limited capacity of this country, Moldova has been doing a great job of welcoming Ukrainians. For Moldova, the number is not proportional. There is a huge number of refugees now in the country. There may be another wave of refugees because of the assault on Odesa. Unfortunately, as committee members have probably noticed, the air attacks on Odesa and the surrounding region are continuous. Some of the destruction is, unfortunately, happening in the city, which is very symbolic for the Russian Federation in its sick and twisted perception of history. Russia ties the city to some imperial Russian greatness. This war is about the restoration of Russian Empire as the Russian Government understands it. It does not matter what the name is. Putin sees the dissolution of the Soviet Union as the most drastic mistake of the 20th century. Therefore, I do not think the Russians have given up the idea of attacking either Odesa or Kyiv, so it is entirely possible that a new wave of refugees will come through that area.

Moreover, we have to understand that in Transnistria, this non-recognised territory that has been cut off from Moldova for a couple of decades, there are, I think, about 1,300 Russian troops stationed at the moment. They are on high alert. Moreover, there is a big base there, a big military storage facility, that they are threatening to blow up. That could be a huge disaster for the region on various terms, including ecological terms. Therefore, the threat is there. Moldova should be given additional help in its efforts to be ready as at least a transit country for those people who might need to find further refuge.