Turkish and Russian Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin may soon discuss the extension of the grain deal, which expires on May 18, by phone. A source in Ankara told TASS on Wednesday.
"The possibility of their telephone talks is not ruled out, because, as you know, the grain deal expires tomorrow. It is vital to reach agreements to extend it," he said.
According to the source, without extending the grain deal, food prices on world markets will go up again, they won't be able to be contained without it. "If the grain deal fails to be extended, food prices will go up again. Without the grain deal, which expires tomorrow, they cannot be contained. Therefore, in Turkey we expect that it will be extended", stressed the interlocutor of the agency.
On July 22, 2022, a package of documents on food and fertilizer supplies to the international market was signed in Istanbul. Initially the agreements were signed for 120 days, in November last year they were prolonged for the same period. On March 18 this year, Russia announced a 60-day extension of the deal, warning that this would be enough time to assess the implementation of the memorandum signed with the UN.
Moscow has repeatedly pointed out that a further decision on whether to extend the deal depends on the implementation of the Russian part of the agreement. Lack of progress on this issue threatens the fate of the initiative.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS