A rice exporting company in the southern province of An Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Sinh

HÀ NỘI — Spokesperson for Việt Nam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng stressed that Việt Nam is one of the world's leading agricultural exporters and food security is an "essential task" of the Government.

She made the statement on Thursday in response to queries from reporters regarding reactions to Ukraine foreign minister's remarks about how Russia's alleged blockade in the Black Sea may affect countries, including Việt Nam.

On October 30, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba commented on Russia's statements about supplying 500,000 tonnes of grains for free to poor countries by saying on Twitter that "ruining the grain corridor Russia blocks 2 million (!) tons of grain for Algeria, Yemen, Vietnam, Bangladesh and others right now."

In response, Hằng said: "The Vietnamese Government always pays great attention to ensuring national security and it is considered an essential task in the industrialisation and modernisation of the country."

According to statistics, Việt Nam produces 41 to 43 million tonnes of rice and 6.5 million tonnes of various types of meat, meeting domestic consumption demand. 

"At the same time, as one of the leading agricultural exporters, Việt Nam also makes important contributions to the joint efforts in addressing the global food security challenges," Hằng noted.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the first nine months of 2022, the total turnover of agricultural, forestry and fisheries is about US$80.1 billion, an increase of 10.3 per cent on the same period last year.

"As a responsible member of the United Nations and the international community, Việt Nam stands ready to coordinate with countries and share experiences in ensuring food security," Hằng said, adding that Việt Nam hopes  all countries will strengthen international cooperation and sharing the responsibility of handling this crisis. — VNS