Turkey described this Friday as positive the last round of negotiations, which ended on Thursday in Istanbul, for the extension of the grain agreement, despite the fact that Russia insists that its intentions are not being fulfilled.
“We are getting closer to concluding the extension of the Ukraine grain deal,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by Anadolu news agency.
Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations met in Istanbul on Wednesday and Thursday to try to extend the agreement beyond May 18, the date on which it expires.
The pact has been periodically renewed since in July 2022, with the mediation of the UN and Turkey, it was agreed to create a corridor through the Black Sea, with a coordination center in Istanbul, which would make it possible to bring 30 to international markets. millions of tons. cereals and other agricultural products.
In this sense, Ankara assured that “avoiding famine means maintaining stability.”
Turkey’s optimism contrasts with a warning issued by Russia on Thursday, in which the Kremlin says this round of talks has ended without several of its requests being met.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin confirmed that contacts will continue, but warned that Moscow will not act “to the detriment of its interests” and that if Russian fertilizer export requests are not met before May 18, the pact will cease to exist.
Russia also accuses Ukraine of blocking the reactivation of a Togliatti-Odessa gas pipeline, paralyzed since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian government also called for the unblocking of accounts and assets abroad of Russian companies linked to the production and transport of food and fertilizers.
The Moscow representative also said that during this round of contacts in Istanbul the demand for the Russian bank Rosselkhozbank to be reconnected to the SWIFT financial communications system was discussed, but he said that there has been no progress in this regard.
Source: TSF
