Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey wants to extend the agreement on the safe transit of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports for three months instead of two. “I hope for an extension,” he said in Istanbul during a joint speech with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The agreement on maritime transport of grain is due to expire on 17 July. It is vital for Ukraine’s agricultural exports, which have exported millions of tonnes of grain and other commodities over the past 11 months.
Turkey brokered the agreement along with the UN, and its termination, which Russia has threatened several times, could raise world food prices, as Ukraine is a very important grain exporter. russia has stepped up its criticism of the agreement during the previous extension period, saying that the pact does not provide enough food for poor African countries.
However, Turkey and Ukraine have confirmed that the grain deal will remain in force even if Russia formally withdraws from it. The Turkish navy will ensure the security of the corridors for ships. “The whole world is interested in the functioning of the grain corridor,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that the continuation of the agreement should not depend on “the wishes of one state” or “the mood in which the president of the Russian Federation woke up.”
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Turkey was part of a wider diplomatic tour of NATO countries ahead of the summit to be held in Vilnius on 11-12 July. “Undoubtedly, Ukraine deserves NATO membership,” the Turkish president said.
In addition to this issue, the summit will consider a possible agreement on Sweden’s membership in NATO, as well as Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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