Erdogan confident of grain deal extension
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Although Erdogan is optimistic that the grain deal may be extended, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says that Russia has made no statement on the matter yet.
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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks following his cabinet meeting in Ankara, May 17, 2021 (AP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced optimism Friday about the possibility of extending the agreement that permits Ukraine to export grain and alleviate a worldwide food crisis.
Erdogan told reporters, "We are preparing to welcome Putin in August and we agree on the extension of the Black Sea grain corridor."
The Turkish President stated that he had talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the key agreement, which is slated to expire on Monday, although he did not specify when the call took place.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that "There is no statement about this from the Russian side."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Reuters, to prolong a pact permitting secure Black Sea grain exports from Ukraine, in exchange for joining a unit of Russia's agricultural bank to the SWIFT international payment system.
Russia has threatened to pull out of the grain contract, which is set to expire on Monday since its requests to ship its grain and fertilizer overseas have yet to be addressed. The final two ships traveling under the Black Sea accord are presently loading goods at the Ukrainian port of Odesa to meet the deadline.
Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey signed an UN-brokered agreement on July 22 to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships transporting food and fertilizers from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The deal was extended on March 18 for 60 day period instead of the 120 days initially specified in the agreement.
While Russian exports of food and fertilizer are not subject to Western sanctions imposed after the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Moscow has on numerous occasions said that restrictions have been placed by the West on payments, logistics, and insurance for its shipment.
