President Putin pledges grain aid to poor African countries

Shipments to some of the poorest nations on the continent will be ready within months, the Russian president has said Russia will be ready to ship free grain to some of Africa’s poorest nations within the next three to four months, President Vladimir Putin has announced.

He made the pledge during a speech at the Russia-Africa summit being held in St. Petersburg. Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somali, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea will each receive 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain, the Russian President said.

Moscow will also cover the delivery costs of the shipments, he added.