Turkey underlines 'critical' need to revive Ukraine grain deal

Turkey's foreign minister said on Thursday (August 31) that reviving Ukrainian grain deal was 'critical' for food security. Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister was in Moscow.

"We underlined its critical role for global food security and stability in the Black Sea," he said during joint media appearance with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Fidan was in Moscow for preparations for an informal summit between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Turkey had helped broker the pre-existing grain deal between Ukraine and Russia that created safe passage for Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. Russia pulled out of the deal last month.

Since then, both Russia and Ukraine have planned to begin shipping grain outside the framework of the deal.

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Turkey wants the warring sides to return to the agreement and use it as a basis for broader peace talks.

"I reiterated our belief that revitalising the initiative will restore stability," Fidan said.

Russia maintains that the previous deal imposed indirect restrictions on its exports of grain and fertiliser by limiting Russia's access to international payment systems and insurance.

Lavrov on Thursday, repeated Russian stand that the country will rejoin the deal once its demands are met.

Turkey wanted to begin a "process focussed on understanding and answering Russia's demands".

The previous grain deal helped Ukraine export more than 30 million tonnes of grain and foodstuffs during the period it remained in effect.

This in turn, helped lower global food prices that had increased after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The cessation of grain exports in the immediate aftermath of the invasion had raised the spectre of global food crisis.

Putin and Erdogan are expected to meet each other in Russian resort city of Sochi on September 4. They will primarily discuss grain exports, reported Reuters citing two Turkish sources.

(With inputs from agencies)

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