Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Kyrgyzstan Hakan Fidan and Jeenbek Kulubaev held talks in Bishkek covering the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and the potential revival of a grain deal. The Turkish minister shared insights with journalists after the meeting, and the broadcast was made available on the Anadolu Agency's website.
"We exchanged views on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and how Turkey, as one of the largest countries in the Black Sea basin, can leverage its position to contribute to a resolution and revive the grain deal," stated Fidan.
The grain deal, established in July 2022, focused on creating a corridor for ships transporting Ukrainian grain. However, it lapsed on July 18, 2023. The Russian Federation formally objected to its extension, notifying Turkey, Ukraine, and the UN. Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted that the deal's terms, particularly concerning Russia, were not fulfilled. He noted that the West predominantly exported Ukrainian grain to its own states, rather than achieving the primary goal of supplying grain to countries in need, including those in Africa.
Subsequently, Ankara and Moscow initiated discussions to facilitate the delivery of 1 million tons of Russian grain to Turkey at a preferential price, supported financially by Qatar. The proposed plan involves processing the grain into flour, which will then be transported to African countries.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from TASS