The Russian government announced today, Monday, a temporary ban on the export of durum wheat, aiming to ensure food security and stabilize prices.

The official website of the Russian government stated, in a statement reported by the Russian news agency (TASS), "Russia imposes temporary restrictions on the export of durum wheat from the country, and an order has been signed in this regard. The decision aims to ensure food security and will help maintain a stable situation for the prices of durum wheat products in the domestic market."

The statement added that the temporary restriction comes into effect from the moment the government order is published and will remain in force until May 31, 2024.

It pointed out that there are a number of exceptions, including "the export of durum wheat to provide international humanitarian aid and as part of international government agreements, and its export from Russian territory to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Export of durum wheat to the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union - Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan - is allowed within the quotas specified by the government decree, provided that permits issued by the Russian Ministry of Agriculture are obtained."

In another context, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, denied today, Monday, his country’s need to draft a new constitution.

In response to a question about whether he believes Russia needs a new version of the constitution, Medvedev clarified - according to what was reported by (TASS) news agency, "We do not need a new constitution yet, in my opinion."

He added: "Any amendments to the constitution must be done with as much care as possible... When a country goes through serious social changes, it is sometimes necessary to adopt a new version of the constitution," but he added that such conditions do not exist in Russia.

The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, pointed out, "Certainly, the Russian constitution will be improved, but it seems to me that discussing the situation of a new constitution is not logical at this time."