Romania has shipped 5.2 million tons of grain from Ukraine since Russia invaded almost 8 months ago, the foreign minister said.
Bogdan Aurescu made the comments on Sunday, World Food Day, and said his country was committed to continue exporting to alleviate the impact of food security from the war.
On #WorldFoodDay I reaffirm 🇷🇴 commitment to continue reducing the impact of the war in UA on #FoodSecurity worldwide. Since February, #Romania facilitated the transit of >5.2mln tons of 🇺🇦grain through RO territory. We call for the extension of #BlackSeaGrainInitiative.#WFD2022
— Bogdan Aurescu (@BogdanAurescu) October 16, 2022
The Black Sea Grain Initiative  was set up in July to reintroduce vital food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine to the rest of the world after Russia invaded in February.
Prior to the invasion, Ukraine was  one of the world’s largest grain exporters, supplying around 45 million tons.
Following the invasion, mountains of grains built up in silos, with ships unable to secure safe passage to and from Ukrainian ports, and land routes unable to compensate.
This contributed to a jump in the price of staple foods around the world. Combined with increases in the cost of energy, developing countries were pushed to the brink of debt default and increasing numbers of people found themselves on the brink of famine.
On July 22, the UN, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine agreed the Black Sea Grain Initiative in a ceremony in Istanbul. It was signed for a period of 120 days.
Ukraine grain exports via Poland and Romania face bottlenecks-Reuters