Reviving the Ukrainian grain trade, according to Turkey’s foreign minister, is “critical” for food security. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Moscow.
Fidan was in Moscow for the informal conference between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The pre-existing grain agreement between Ukraine and Russia that provided safe transit for Ukrainian grain over the Black Sea was mediated by Turkey. Last month, Russia backed out of the agreement.
“We underlined its critical role for global food security and stability in the Black Sea,” he averred during collaborative media conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Since then, Russia and Ukraine have both made plans to start transporting grain in violation of the agreement. The deal should be revisited and used as a starting point for more extensive peace negotiations, according to Turkey.
“I reiterated our belief that revitalising the initiative will restore stability,” Fidan stated.
Russia claims that by restricting its access to global payment and insurance networks, the prior agreement placed indirect limits on its exports of grain and fertiliser.
On Thursday, Lavrov reiterated the Russian position that the nation will rejoin the agreement provided its conditions are satisfied.
A “process focused on understanding and responding to Russia’s demands” was something Turkey want to start.
During the time it was in existence, the previous grain agreement aided Ukraine in exporting more than 30 million tonnes of grain and food. In turn, this assisted in bringing down rising food costs worldwide brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The prospect of a world food catastrophe had been heightened by the suspension of grain shipments in the early aftermath of the invasion.
