Turkish FM meets Zelenskyy over Black Sea grain deal

Turkish FM meets Zelenskyy over Black Sea grain deal

TURKISH Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a working visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

The talks on Friday centered on the revival of the crucial Black Sea grain deal as well as discussing efforts to end the war with Russia.

The Black Sea grain deal was negotiated on July 22 by Türkiye, the United Nations, and Russia to help alleviate a global food crisis, as a way of ensuring that grain could leave from the southern ports of Ukraine, one of the breadbaskets of the world.

Nearly 33 million tones of Ukrainian grain was exported while the deal was in operation.

Grain from Ukraine feeds some 400 million people worldwide, according to the World Food Program.

On July 17, the Black Sea initiative officially expired and Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to extend the deal because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertilizer have not been met.

A Russian official on Friday said Moscow will not return to the Black Sea grain deal until the west meets its demands.

Meanwhile, Fidan plans to visit Russia at an unspecified date.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had also invited Putin to visit Turkey this month, with plans to discuss negotiations surrounding the crucial deal.

The Kremlin has not yet provided any confirmation on the matter.

Erdogan has played a crucial role in convincing Putin to renew the deal several times since it was implemented last year.

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