Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that a number of countries have obstructed the signing of agreements on grain supplies from Ukraine, using the situation to weaken Russia.
"There are countries that want the war to continue, moreover, a number of them have tried to obstruct the grain deal. They believe that the longer the war lasts, the more Russia will be weakened," Cavusoglu told TM-100 channel.
According to him, Ankara will continue its efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, and the grain agreements of the Quartet in Istanbul can facilitate this. "If the grain problem is solved, it will open the way for a cease-fire [in Ukraine]. We will continue our active role. Eventually this war will end at the negotiating table, and we will do our best to bring the opposing sides back to it," Cavusoglu noted.
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.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS