Turkiye’s foreign minister stated that renewing a contract to ferry Ukrainian grain over the Black Sea was “critical” for food security while visiting Moscow on Thursday.
Turkiye’s foreign minister stated that renewing a contract to ferry Ukrainian grain over the Black Sea was “critical” for food security while visiting Moscow on Thursday.
Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister of Turkey, and Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, both spoke to the media at the same time. “We underlined its critical role for global food security and stability in the Black Sea,” they added.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Vladimir Putin are due to meet informally next week in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi, which is why Fidan was in Moscow preparing for it.
Last month, Russia withdrew from the Ukrainian grain accord supported by the UN and facilitated by Turkiye. Since then, efforts have been made by Russia and Ukraine to begin transporting grain in violation of the agreement.
Turkiye urges the conflicting parties to revisit the deal and use it as the foundation for more extensive peace negotiations. Fidan stated, “I underlined our conviction that revitalizing the initiative will restore stability.
Moscow claims that by restricting Russia’s access to international payment and insurance networks, the prior deal put indirect limits on its exports of grains and fertilisers.
Lavrov reiterated Russia’s steadfast stance that it will rejoin the agreement whenever its conditions are satisfied.
Turkiye intended to start a “process focused on understanding and meeting Russia’s demands,” according to Fidan. The deal helped Ukraine export more than 30 million tonnes of grain and food during its one year of existence.
This reduced the rise in global food prices following Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine and reduced famine in regions of the Middle East and Africa.
The United Nations has warned that the war in Ukraine could cause a global food crisis. Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat, corn, and sunflower oil. The blockade of Ukrainian ports has prevented the export of these commodities, driving up prices and threatening food security in many countries.