Turkey speeds up negotiations to extend Ukrainian grain export deal

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March 5 () –

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, confirmed this Sunday that his country is accelerating its mediation work to extend the export agreement indirectly signed between Russia and Ukraine, which will expire on March 18.

“We are already working hard for the extension of the Black Sea grain deal,” Cavusoglu said in a speech at the United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar.

To this end, Cavusoglu has confirmed meetings with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, as well as his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in New Delhi, on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meetings.

Russia and Ukraine signed this agreement on July 22 after mediation by Turkey and the United Nations to unblock the export of grain and fertilizers, a pact that was briefly interrupted by Moscow’s accusations against Kiev for alleged threats to the security of the corridor.

Finally, Moscow announced its return to the agreement after citing Ukrainian “guarantees”, although kyiv denied having made any concessions. The last renewal of the same took place on November 17.

“We cannot leave the least developed countries behind. We must act without delay,” Cavusolgu said in his appearance, reported by the newspaper ‘Hurriyet’. “Above all is food security, and it is a pity that we have not beaten hunger in the 21st century. Reforms are needed in the global economic and financial systems,” he said.