Borrell's summit doorstep Partnership and grain deal

Jul 17, 2023

In his Brussels doorstep before the EU–CELAC summit, Josep Borrell says the first meeting in eight years is a geopolitical imperative and a starting point for stronger ties. He describes the partners as one billion people in sixty countries, forecasts success, and outlines digital, Mercosur, Caribbean and Venezuela meetings and business and social forums. In Spanish, he calls for political commitment, investment, rights and freedoms alongside shared history and culture. Asked about the gap, he cites COVID disruptions and acknowledges insufficient European attention. He rejects a race with China, describing China as Latin America's leading trade partner, the EU as its leading investor and Russia's economic role as negligible. On Ukraine wording, he expects repetition of UN positions on Russia's invasion. He reports Russia's same-day refusal to prolong the grain deal, warns of worldwide harm, condemns the decision, pledges EU solidarity lanes for Ukrainian exports and dismisses the sanctions justification as an excuse. On climate, he urges cooperation around biodiversity and the Amazon. He rejects an extractive relationship and urges support for local value addition to mineral resources, while saying minerals will not especially be a specific summit topic. He expects continued Mercosur work toward agreement by year-end rather than a major breakthrough that day. Closing Spanish replies express hope for joint work on global problems and confirm human rights concerning Nicaragua and Venezuela will be discussed. Expectations, assessments and pledges remain attributed; the interrupted closing questions establish no additional outcome.

Russia announces it will not continue the Black Sea grain agreement, citing unmet conditions on its food and fertiliser exports and denying a link to the Kerch Bridge attack. The agreement expires at midnight July 17. TSN reports UN, EU, US, Ukrainian and British objections and food-security concerns, with Guterres pledging continued efforts and Borrell supporting EU Solidarity Lanes. Ukraine proposes continuing the maritime route with Turkey and the UN, but no alternative agreement is established in this report. The bulletin describes trade effects and a reported wheat-price rise. In his complete same-day New York statement (show 514), António Guterres says Russia's decision also withdraws navigation security guarantees in the northwestern Black Sea and its commitment to facilitate food, sunflower-oil and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea ports. He describes the initiative's humanitarian role and warns of food-price and hunger consequences. His account and forecasts remain attributed, and do not establish that every Ukrainian export route stopped. Borrell's full Brussels doorstep (show 518) condemns the withdrawal, pledges continued EU Solidarity Lanes and rejects the sanctions explanation as an excuse. Kuleba's same-day CBS exchange (show 520) says inland routes cannot fully compensate for the ports, alleges hunger blackmail and commercial motives, and forecasts higher prices and harm in vulnerable parts of Asia and Africa. His cited 20-percent price fall and forecasts remain his account, not an independently verified result or reopening commitment.