Russia completes shipping free grain to six African states

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Wheat grain is seen on the MV Brave Commander vessel as it docks at port of Djibouti in Djibouti on August 30, 2022. PHOTO | REUTERS

Russia's Agriculture minister said late on Tuesday that Moscow had completed its initiative of shipping 200,000 metric tonnes of free grain to six African countries, as promised by President Vladimir Putin in July last year.

Russia shipped 50,000 tonnes each to Somalia and the Central African Republic (CAR) and 25,000 tonnes each to Mali, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe and Eritrea, Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev told Putin during a meeting, according to transcript on the Kremlin's website.