Ambassador of Ukraine to Lebanon Igor Ostash on July 28 at a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun asked to take measures to clarify the circumstances of the stay in Lebanese territorial waters of the Syrian court, which was loaded in the port of Feodosia with barley exported from the occupied Ukrainian territories, Interfax-Ukraine reports. .
“The Ambassador drew the attention of the President to the fact that on July 27, 2022, a Syrian vessel entered the seaport of Tripoli, loaded in the port of Feodosia with barley exported from the occupied territories. A request was made to take measures to clarify the circumstances of its stay in Lebanese territorial waters. It was also emphasized that this fact can harm bilateral relations,” the Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon said on its Facebook page.
During the meeting, the issues of supplying Ukrainian wheat to the Lebanese market were also discussed.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in a sharp decline in the supply of grain to world markets, has become another factor destabilizing the situation in Lebanon. Subsidized bread, which for many families was a staple food, has practically disappeared from sale. People have to spend long hours queuing outside bakeries in the hot July sun. Skirmishes constantly arise among those waiting for the pits to be “thrown out”. Many have to spend their depreciating savings on unsubsidized bread. 10 pitas cost £40,000 ($1.50). Rumors are circulating on social media that bakers are selling subsidized bread to Syria for profit, and organized crime controls this process. In several cases, the situation got out of hand and people took the bakeries by storm. Soldiers were used to restore order.