Türkiye is preparing for the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin in August. This was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, writes Habertürk.
“We are preparing to receive Mr. Putin in August. We agree to the extension of this Black Sea Grain Corridor. From the UN, Mr. Guterres sent a letter to Mr. Putin. I hope that with this letter we will ensure the extension of the grain corridor, through our joint efforts and Russia,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan has already reported earlier that Putin is due to visit Turkey in August. However, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the date for the talks between the two leaders has not yet been determined.
The Turkish leader expects to personally discuss with his Russian counterpart the transfer of the commanders of the Ukrainian Azov battalion (recognized as terrorist in Russia and banned) to Kiev. He announced this on July 12 during a press conference following the NATO summit in Vilnius. At the same time, the presidents may discuss the purchase of several Russian amphibious aircraft to fight forest fires.
In Vilnius, Erdogan also said that Putin had made some proposals on the grain deal, which are now being discussed. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that he was not aware of any new proposals on this topic.
On July 7, a meeting between Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took place in Istanbul, after which the Turkish president said that he would like to extend the grain deal after July 17. According to Erdogan, the extension of the grain initiative is being discussed with Russia, and Ukraine has declared its readiness to “do everything in its power” from it. On July 10, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow had not changed its position on the deal after the meeting between Erdogan and Zelensky.
The deal was concluded on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Turkey and the UN, on the one hand, and representatives of Russia and Ukraine, on the other. As part of the negotiations, two agreements were signed between Moscow and Kiev. The first is for the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, Yuzhny and Chornomorsk, the second is for assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers. The Kremlin previously stated that the Russian part of the agreements on the grain deal is still not being fulfilled, and therefore there are no grounds for its extension.
Source : Vedomosti
