Turkish Defense Minister expects extension of grain deal

The grain deal is likely to be extended from March 18, when the agreement expires, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.

“Both sides are positive, confident that the outcome will be positive. We believe that the deal will be extended on March 18, – transmits his words to the Anadolu agency.

On March 7, Reuters, citing an official in the Ukrainian government, announced the start of negotiations on a grain deal between Kiev and the UN. The source noted that Ukraine does not negotiate directly with Russia. On March 8, UN Secretary General António Guterres arrived in Kyiv, where he discussed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the continuation of the implementation of the terms of the deal. During the meeting, Guterres called for an extension of the agreement.

The next day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova statedthat in case of non-fulfillment of the part of the grain deal relating to the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, the forecast for its extension will be pessimistic. The diplomat clarified that on March 13, negotiations will be held in Geneva to extend the agreement between representatives of the Russian Federation and the UN. Prior to this, the Russian Foreign Ministry also said that Moscow was ready to continue participating in the grain deal, subject to equality.

The agreement expires March 18. Earlier in Kyiv, they announced that they plan to extend the deal for a year and include the ports of Nikolaev in it.

On July 22, 2022, representatives of Turkey and the UN signed separate agreements with representatives of Russia and Ukraine on the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, as well as on assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers. The deal was calculated until November 18 with a subsequent extension for 120 days.