Erdogan agrees with Putin on the need to extend the grain deal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip agrees with the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin that the grain deal should be extended, transmits Reuters.

According to the Turkish leader, Ankara hopes to extend the Black Sea deal after July 17 thanks to the efforts of the UN and Turkey. In addition, Erdogan today also informed on preparations for Putin’s visit in August.

July 12 Erdogan informedthat now there is a discussion of some proposals for a grain deal that were made by Putin. The next day, July 13, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov explained that the Russian and Turkish leaders had long discussed mutual willingness to work “regardless of any other agreements on preferential deliveries of grain, primarily wheat, to developing countries that are in greatest need for this product.”

In addition, on July 12, the representative of the UN Secretary General, Stephane Dujarric, said that Secretary General António Guterres on July 11 sent letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Dujarric, the purpose of this letter is to remove “barriers to financial transactions through Rosselkhozbank, <...> as well as the simultaneous permission to continue the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.” Dujarric noted that the Russian side has already received the letter and is currently considering it.

The grain deal was concluded on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Turkey and the UN, on the one hand, and representatives of Russia and Ukraine, on the other. Separate agreements were concluded with Moscow and Kiev: the first was for the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk, and the second was for assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers. Moscow has repeatedly noted that the second part of the deal, which concerns the supply of Russian products, is not being implemented. In May, the deal was extended until July 17.

In June, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia could withdraw from the grain deal after it ends on July 17. The Kremlin previously reported that the Russian part of the agreements on the grain deal is still not being implemented, and therefore there are no grounds for its extension. On July 10, Peskov confirmed that Moscow’s position on this issue had not changed.