Settlement of navigation in Ukrainian ports to unblock grain exports will become possible if Turkey and Russia reach relevant agreements, the Sabah newspaper reported on Tuesday. The issue of creating a safe maritime corridor is to be discussed during the upcoming talks in Ankara on Wednesday by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the newspaper said.
The newspaper notes that Turkey favors the rapid overcoming of disagreements between the parties and the creation of a safe corridor. According to Sabah, this may become possible after demining of the Ukrainian ports, preparation of the shipping process and a safe maritime corridor itself. The Turkish side also advocates the holding of meetings between representatives of logistics, agriculture and military experts.
Along with the issues of creating a safe maritime corridor, during the talks of Turkish and Russian foreign ministers in Ankara the parties will also discuss the measures to be taken for the soonest possible ceasefire in Ukraine, reports Sabah.
The situation at the line of contact in Donbass escalated on February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics reported the most intense shelling by Ukraine in recent months. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he recognized the sovereignty of the DNR and LNR in accordance with their constitutions within the borders of Donetsk and Lugansk regions at the beginning of 2014. On February 24, Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request for assistance from the leaders of the Donbass republics.
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Based on materials from TASS