Ukraine Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba said his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov did not request a meeting with him. Both foreign ministers are attending ASEAN Summit related meetings in Phnom Penh.
At a November 12 press conference, the day after he signed an Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) with ASEAN, Kuleba said that had Sergey Lavrov made a request, he would take it into account.
“As you ask about Mr. Lavrov – he did not ask for a meeting as is usual in diplomacy; if he does, we will thoroughly consider his request, taking into account all aspects and the reality of the current situation,” he said.
Kuleba called on Russia to participate in initiatives related to exports of food and grain from Ukraine to ensure global food security.
He said Russia should allow a free outflow of Ukrainian grain, sunflower oil and other agriculture products to global markets, to keep prices under control around and save millions of people from famine.
“I call on all ASEAN members to take every measure possible to stop Russia from playing games with the world,” he said.
He added that grain corridors should be exempted and should not be used as blackmail to level Russian losses on the battle ground.
Sergey Lavrov arrived in Phnom Penh on the morning of November 12 to attend the ASEAN-Russia meeting and East Asia Summit.
