A tasting event was held in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday, featuring ingredients harvested from demined farmland.
Ukraine is facing the daunting task of removing landmines placed by Russian forces. The United Nations says more than 20 percent of Ukrainian territory may be contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance.
About 50 diplomats from Japan and other countries gathered at a restaurant in Kyiv. The event was organized by Ukraine’s government and the UN Development Programme to raise awareness of the need to clear mines.
UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu said at the gathering that the removal of mines from Ukraine’s farmland will help the country restart shipments of grains to developing nations.
The diplomats were served five dishes such as borscht, which were cooked by a famed local chef. Ingredients used in the borscht included beets and onions harvested from demined farmland in the Kyiv region.
The participants were briefed by the chef Olha Martynovska about the dishes while tasting them.
The chef said she is saddened to see fertile farmlands contaminated with mines. She expressed hope for international support, saying that people in Ukraine are not alone.
Tokita Yuji, a diplomat from the Japanese embassy in Ukraine, says the tasting event helped people understand the significance of demining work, and that Japan is committed to supporting the effort.