EU seeks Pak influence to help export grain from Ukraine

ISLAMABAD: In an unusual diplomatic twitter communication on Monday, the European Union Ambassador to Pakistan, Ms Riina Kionka, publicly asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to use its influence and ensure that Russia starts moving its ships to export grain from Ukraine.

“This decision by Russia touches #Pakistan as well, pls use your influence with Moscow to get the ships moving again”, Ms Kionka tweeted.

She was responding to an earlier Tweet from Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who had tweeted that “Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the Black Sea deal puts at risk the main export route of much-needed grain and fertilisers to address the global food crisis caused by its war against Ukraine. The EU urges Russia to revert its decision”.

Normally such diplomatic communication is conveyed through the two Foreign Offices or during a meeting between the ambassador and the host Foreign Office. However, the Twitter account of Ambassador does indicate that she tweets her “own views and re-tweets and follows are not endorsements”.

According to western media reports, Russia pulled out of a deal to allow Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports after drone strikes against its naval vessels, a move that threatens the global food crisis and sends prices soaring again.

Earlier also, eyebrows had been raised when Ambassador Kionka had publicly reminded Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto in a tweet that the European Union had also helped towards the recent flood relief.

The Foreign Minister in a Tweet had named countries that had contributed to flooding relief but had forgotten to mention the European Union’s contribution. Like the last time, and even today there was no reaction from the Foreign Office to Ambassador Kionka’s Tweet.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar on Monday met four members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who are in Pakistan and expressed satisfaction over Pakistan’s growing multifaceted ties with the European Union and discussed a wide range of subjects including the flood situation, GSP+ as well as important regional and global issues.

In August, Ambassador Riina Kionka called on Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and exchanged views on the wide-ranging relations between Pakistan and the EU as envisioned in the Strategic Engagement Plan.