G7 criticises India’s decision to ban wheat exports, says it will worsen the crisis

After India banned unapproved wheat exports on Saturday, Agriculture Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations condemned this decision. 

German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, said, "If everyone starts to impose export restrictions or to close markets, that would worsen the crisis."

"We call on India to assume its responsibility as a G20 member," he added. The decision came as global agricultural markets are under severe stress due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is a principal wheat producer.

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The minister added the issue will be addressed during the G7 summit in Germany next month when India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the summit. 

Announcing the ban on export, India had said the wheat ban was implemented due to unregulated exports, which had led to an increase in prices in the country.  

G7 nations also said that the war in Ukraine is stoking a global food and energy crisis that threatens poor countries, and urgent measures are needed to unblock stores of grain that Russia is preventing from leaving Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who hosted a meeting of top G-7 diplomats, said the war had become a global crisis.

The group also vowed to reinforce Russia`s economic and political isolation, continue supplying weapons to Ukraine and tackle what Germany`s foreign minister described as a "wheat war" being waged by Moscow.

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