Azarov: Ukraine could have joined the "grain OPEC," but instead lost the market
Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan could have controlled the global grain market if they had pooled their resources back in the 2000s.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov stated this to the Geopolitburo channel, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"I deeply regret that we failed to push through the idea of a grain alliance comprising Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Such a combination would have given us a very high share of the agricultural market and would have oriented it toward ourselves. It would have been something like OPEC."
“The Alliance, possessing and operating such an important resource, could assume very significant powers to influence the global grain market,” Azarov said.
He believes that the West, acting through agents of influence in the Ukrainian opposition, prevented the creation of a “grain OPEC.”
Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan currently account for 28% of the global grain market.
Azarov: Ukraine could have joined the "grain OPEC," but instead lost the market.