Yuliia Svyrydenko opens Holodomor exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa

During her visit to the Republic of South Africa, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko took part in the opening of an exhibition by designer and artist Yulia Fedorovych on the Holodomor.

"The Soviet regime committed genocide and tried to hide the evidence. But we remember every life lost. Every story. Today, this truth is heard here, on the other side of the world. A voice that tells of the genocide of the Ukrainian people. And now we ask that this voice on the African continent speaks as loudly about the crimes that russia is committing today," said Yuliia Svyrydenko, opening the event at the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre.

She stressed that russia is now using grain as a weapon again. It bombs Ukrainian ports, mines fields and burns our crops.

"I keep a jar of grain at home - a gift from a Kherson farmer. This grain was rescued from a warehouse that was on fire for several days after the russian attack. This jar reminds me every day that russia uses not only missiles and drones as weapons. russia is also trying to take our bread from us. But despite all this, Ukraine continues to feed the world," Yuliia Svyrydenko continued.

According to her, before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine used to supply food to 400 million people every year. Despite the war, Ukrainian farmers produce 47% of the world's sunflower oil, 17% of barley, 14% of corn and 10% of wheat. Thanks to the Grain from Ukraine initiative, our country has already delivered 286,000 tonnes of food to 12 countries around the world that are in particular need of Ukrainian food.

"For russia, our grain is a weapon of war. For us, it is part of the path to peace. That is why food security is a key element of President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula. After all, Ukrainian grain is a guarantee of global food security. Therefore, I am sincerely grateful for this exhibition in South Africa. Because the memory of our past is vital for the future of humanity," summed up Yuliia Svyrydenko.