Secretary Blinken,

Dear colleagues,

Distinguished guests,

Allow me first of all to thank Secretary Blinken and our American colleagues for organizing this meeting. And let me say right away that fully Albania supports this Global Food Security Call to Action and will work to the best of its abilities to advance all the relevant actions foreseen in the call.

It is a timely initiative because this is a grave situation that is escalating into a crisis right before our eyes. More people are at risk, more people are falling into poverty and what is equally concerning the crisis presents a serious threat to the stability and peace of many countries and regions. From Africa to Asia, from South America to Europe and North America, the whole world is feeling the consequences.

In this difficult situation, I also like to underline Albania’s full support for the UN as a key actor in addressing the crisis.

We applaud too the Secretary General’s tireless efforts to draw attention to this issue and mobilize support among all actors to address it. The Call to Action will strengthen these efforts.

There are many reasons for this deteriorating situation, but what has undoubtedly had a significant impact that will likely escalate as the time goes by is the illegal war of aggression in Ukraine.

One of the most important producers of grain and cereals and vegetable oil has been taken out of the food production chain. There are by all accounts huge quantities of food stored in silos in Ukraine, but that food cannot make its way to those who most need it because of the war.

This is not an accident. I would like to echo what many of you already said It is by now clear that Russia has weaponized food, just as it has weaponized energy and just as it weaponized refugees and human suffering.

The challenge is that were we to find a way to release that food into the world, it could make a significant difference.

That is why I would ask all colleagues gathered here, but this is a call that goes to all members of the UN, to work together on finding a solution to this. To make it clear that this is something that must happen, and that Russia must know the world is united in demanding this.

This is a cause that can unite every country in the world, even those who do not see eye to eye on other issues, because at stake is the health and wellbeing and lives of millions of human beings. The world must make it clear that it will not stand for holding the world’s poor and hungry hostage for the sake of political ambitions.