RUSSIAN WHEAT DONATED TO WFP FOR DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA DEPARTS FROM THE SEA PORT OF NOVOROSSIYSK

On 30 June 2004 at 12:00 p.m. the Dutch vessel “Kallisto” departed for DPRK bringing on board 35,000 tons of Russian wheat donated to WFP for the neediest people in North Korea. On 28 June 2004 when the process of loading had been completed a short meeting attended by representatives from WFP HQ in Rome, WFP Office in the Russian Federation and government officials was held. It was televised on Channel-I (ORT) where Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Yuri Fedotov made a statement. “Food aid to the North Korea people is Russia’s first large-scale experience of participating in a UN international operation,” he announced on TV on the day of the ceremony. For the first time this has been done in “close cooperation with the World Food Programme, the UN’s largest humanitarian agency that provides emergency food aid,” he said. WFP Emergency Coordinator Koryun Alaverdyan pointed out in his televised remarks that the vessel is scheduled to arrive in DPRK in about a month to help feed WFP’s 6 million beneficiaries.Russia’s contribution to WFP was initially requested by James Morris, WFP Executive Director, during his meeting with the Russian Minister of Agriculture Mr. Alexey Gordeev and other high level officials in 2002. In 2003 Russia decided to make its first ever donation to WFP with an 11 million dollar contribution: US$ 1 million for Angola and US$10 million for DPRK. In 2003 the Ministry of Agriculture was delegated the implementation of the agreement concluded between the Russian Government and WFP on the Russian donation. The Federal Food Market Regulation Agency was nominated by the Ministry to supply wheat to WFP. After discussions an operational and cost effective decision was found according to which a Dutch vessel was to deliver the Russian wheat from the sea port of Novorossiysk to DPRK.