The Syrian Foreign Minister, Faisal Al-Miqdad, confirmed that Syria supports the initiative to extend the UN-brokered grain deal between Russia and Ukraine.

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, Al-Miqdad said, "It goes without saying that we fully support this step. Western countries are responsible for the problems that developing countries are facing today. I consider this unfair, illogical, and unacceptable."

Al-Miqdad pointed out that the conflict in Ukraine affected the entire world, but the continued support for Kiev by Western countries keeps flaring up this conflict and extends the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

"The support provided by the United States and other Western countries is harmful and unacceptable," Al-Miqdad said, adding, "I believe that the United States and its allies intend to pursue the fight down to the last Ukrainian."

Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey inked an UN-brokered agreement on July 22 to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships transporting food and fertilizer from Black Sea ports.

Three vital Ukrainian ports — Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne — have been cleared, allowing exports to restart. The Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center (JCC) was established to supervise the initiative's operation, including ensuring that cargo ships do not transport illicit commodities or individuals.

No negotiations to normalize relations between Syria and Turkey

In another context, Al-Miqdad stressed that, at the present time, there are no ongoing negotiations regarding the normalization of relations between Syria and Turkey.

"There are no negotiations. No contacts. There is nothing, at least at the level of foreign ministers,” Al-Miqdad was quoted by Sputnik as saying.

Last Tuesday, the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly kicked off, and it comes amid severe divisions and disparities among the UN Security Council member states, mainly against the backdrop of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.