The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is disappointed by the decision of the Tripoli (Lebanon) court to lift the arrest of the Syrian ship "Laodecia", which is transporting Ukrainian agricultural products stolen by Russia. Despite the evidence provided, the court did not consider the position of Ukraine's competent authorities.
Ukraine has always supported Lebanon's food security, taking first place among exporters of agricultural products to this country in 2021. Ukrainian food supplies did not stop even after the start of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine. After the Ukrainian Black Sea ports opened, the first grain left Odessa port to Lebanon.
Moreover, considering the difficult food situation in Lebanon, in coordination with the Ukrainian owners of the illegally exported cargo, the Lebanese side was offered to sell Ukrainian flour and barley at a discounted price.
The decision of the Lebanese court allows the ship "Laodecia", which is under the influence of international sanctions due to the illegal export of goods from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, to leave the port of Tripoli without hindrance with stolen Ukrainian flour and barley.
This decision encourages Russia to continue thefts in the temporarily occupied southern Ukraine with a sense of impunity. In addition, with such a decision, Lebanon actually undermines its own food security, pushing Ukraine away as its reliable partner.
We call on the Lebanese side to cancel the decision regarding the seizure of the ship "Laodecia" and to take measures to prevent further attempts to use Lebanon to ship stolen Ukrainian grain.
