Crimea exported 200 thousand tons of grain to Syria and Russia
The Crimean Minister of Agriculture, Andrey Ryumshin stated, that in 2018, 200 thousand tons of grain were exported from Crimea to Syria and Russia.
According to him, the supply of grain to Syria this year amounted to about 40 thousand tons. Additionally, Ryumshin emphasized that this year grain supplies from the Crimea halved due to drought.
“Last year about 400 thousand tons of grain were exported out of Crimea, and this year about 200 thousand tons,” noted the Crimean minister.
In 2017, in Crimea 1.7 million tons of grain were harvested, while this year it is less than 1 million tons.
According to the Russian Ministry of Agriculture of the Crimea, due to drought, the peninsula lost about 500 thousand tons of grain this year. The amount lost due to drought is estimated at almost 240 million rubles ($4.9 million USD).
On October 15-16, Russian authorities in Sevastopol visited Syria and met with the country’s president Bashar Assad.
They claimed that they planned on signing an agreement on trade, economics, scientific, technical and humanitarian cooperation between the Crimea and the province of Latakia. Head of Crimea Aksyonov stated that the Crimean authorities intend to supply products of Crimean companies to Syria. In part, this referred to electronics and flour.
In addition, the Crimean Russian authorities reported the possible opening of an airplane route between Syria and the Crimea.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the visit of the Russian authorities of Crimea Syria.
Syria was among the 27 countries that voted against the resolution on human rights in the annexed by Russia Crimea, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly.