Russia and Bahrain to set up wheat trading hub.

Russia, the world’s largest wheat exporter, along with Bahrain plan to set up a wheat trading hub in the Persian Gulf, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. While Mr. Vladimir Putin was speaking at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg on a panel alongside Bahrain’s National Security Adviser Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

“We, along with our friends from Bahrain, are planning to create a whole hub for the supply of wheat from Russia. I would like to remind you that Russia confidently holds the first place in the world in wheat sales on the global market. Many countries in the Arab world are very interested in this. Step by step, we will move in this direction“, Putin said.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria rank among the biggest buyers of Russian wheat, which is exported from Moscow’s Black Sea ports. Direct supplies of Russian wheat often face logistical difficulties and payment issues because of Western sanctions on shipping and Russian banks.

Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut said earlier on Friday that Russia aims to export 45 million tons of wheat in the coming marketing season which starts on 01^st, July, slightly more than in the current season.

The Russian Ministry of Industry had already discussed creating a grain hub in Bahrain a few years back, however the proposal was never executed.

Bilateral ties unaffected by western anti-Russia campaign –

Earlier Alexey Skosyrev, Ambassador to Bahrain had reiterated that the relations between the two countries were not affected by the western campaign targeting Moscow following the beginning of the war in Ukraine. “We appreciate and express our gratitude to the Bahraini leadership for its readiness to assist the political and diplomatic process in case such a need arises, we warmly support the call of the authorities of the kingdom not to allow the media to be used to escalate the situation and promote hatred”.

“If we speak about the infamous cancel culture against everything Russian, which was done in the West, then there are no conditions and prerequisites for this. On the contrary, interest in our culture and communication with Russians is steadily growing. For example, we constantly receive requests for studies in Russia, learning the Russian language, planned cultural events of various kinds“, Skosyrev added.

Western sanctions on Russia and the Covid pandemic slowed down the development of relations between the countries, the Ambassador noted, however stressing that “they can only somewhat slow down the process of strengthening our ties, not reverse it.”

Skosyrev stressed that confidential dialogue is maintained on “a wide range of issues, including a number of general principles of the world order, our views are close or coincide. For us, as we have repeatedly stressed at all levels, Bahrain is an important partner in the Arab-Muslim world.

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