Russian and Turkish presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan will exchange views on the work of the Ukrainian grain export center at a meeting in Sochi on August 5, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov says.
"Implementation [of the grain deal - TASS] has already begun de facto, the process will start, and it will be a good opportunity to exchange views in Sochi, of course, on how it corresponds to the agreements that have been reached," the Kremlin spokesman told reporters on Wednesday.
Putin and Erdogan will discuss military-technical cooperation (MTC), said Peskov, who did not respond, however, to a question about whether cooperation on Baykar Makina drone production would be on the agenda.
"Military-technical cooperation between the two countries is constantly on the agenda, and the very fact that our cooperation is developing in such a sensitive area shows that the whole complex of our relations is at a very high level in general," the Kremlin spokesman stated. He confirmed that "including the recent contacts between the two presidents the topic of military-technical cooperation in its various aspects was touched upon."
"As a rule, different aspects are discussed at almost every meeting, so yes, the topic of military-technical cooperation will certainly be discussed in Sochi as well," Peskov noted.
The joint coordination center (JCC) on the safe transportation of grain from Ukraine will officially start its work on Wednesday in Istanbul. Head of the Ministry of Defense of Turkey Hulusi Akar will launch it. The center was established on the basis of the "Quartet" agreements signed on July 22 in Istanbul, on the basis of the National Defense University of Turkey. Twenty people will work there: officers of Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian Armed Forces and representatives of the United Nations. It will be led by an admiral of the Turkish Navy. The Russian delegation to the JCC is headed by Rear Admiral Eduard Luik. Control over the safe navigation on the grain transportation routes from the Ukrainian ports will be carried out 24/7.
A package of documents to solve the problem of food and fertilizer supplies to the world markets was signed in Istanbul on July 22. A memorandum between Russia and the United Nations stipulates that the world organization is joining the effort to lift anti-Russian restrictions hindering the export of agricultural products and fertilizers. Another document outlines a mechanism for exporting grain from Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea ports. Agreements between Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations call for the creation of a quadripartite coordination center, whose representatives will inspect vessels carrying grain to prevent arms smuggling and exclude provocations.
Turkish authorities expect that the transportation of grain through the Black Sea will begin in the next few days.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS