Ankara, Turkey: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to hold talks with Turkish officials on Wednesday on a plan that could allow Ukraine to export its grain Black Sea One for global markets. among growing food crisis,
Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but war and the Russian blockade of its ports have halted that flow, jeopardizing food supplies to many developing countries. Many of those ports are still heavily mined.
An estimated 22 million tons of grain are sitting in silos in Ukraine.
Turkey is involved in efforts to establish a UN-led mechanism that would create a secure corridor for shipments of Ukrainian grain – and for exporting food and fertilizers to Russia. Turkey will facilitate and protect the transportation of grain across the Black Sea, Turkish officials have said.
A top Russian official said on Tuesday that Ukraine needs to clear sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odessa so that grain exports can resume.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian army Commercial ships carrying grain would need to be checked to ensure they did not carry weapons. He said that once loaded with grain, Russia would help move the ships to international waters.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Tuesday that technical details were still being worked out.
Akar said, “Our efforts are on with regard to technical planning on such issues as how it will be done, how the mines will be cleaned, who will do that, how the corridor will be set up and who will escort (the ships). ”
Lavrov arrived in Turkey days after NATO members Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro reportedly refused to allow his plane to take off from its airspace to reach Serbia. Lavrov’s plane was able to fly over the Black Sea directly to Turkey.
Lavrov’s discussions in the Turkish capital are expected to focus on Turkey’s plans to launch a new cross-border offensive in northern Syria against Syrian Kurdish militias, which Ankara considers a security threat. Turkey needs Moscow’s approval to continue its presence in northern Syria, despite the support of the two opposing sides in the Syrian civil war. In 2020, 37 Turkish soldiers were killed in Russia-backed airstrikes against rebels in Syria’s last rebel-held province of Idlib.
“Turkey really needs Russia’s blessing to be able to run this operation (in Syria). And so I think they’re really going to try to get that kind of concession from the Russian side,” Merv Tahiroglu, Turkish Program Coordinator at the Project on Middle East Democracy.
Lavrov’s meeting also comes as Turkey – a NATO member – has opposed Sweden and Finland’s bids to join the alliance. Moscow has also objected to the candidacy of the Nordic countries – which analysts say could play a role in discussions related to Syria.
Turkey has maintained its close ties with both Ukraine and Russia. criticized it Russia’s invasion of UkraineBut has not joined international sanctions against Russia.
Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but war and the Russian blockade of its ports have halted that flow, jeopardizing food supplies to many developing countries. Many of those ports are still heavily mined.
An estimated 22 million tons of grain are sitting in silos in Ukraine.
Turkey is involved in efforts to establish a UN-led mechanism that would create a secure corridor for shipments of Ukrainian grain – and for exporting food and fertilizers to Russia. Turkey will facilitate and protect the transportation of grain across the Black Sea, Turkish officials have said.
A top Russian official said on Tuesday that Ukraine needs to clear sea mines near its Black Sea port of Odessa so that grain exports can resume.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian army Commercial ships carrying grain would need to be checked to ensure they did not carry weapons. He said that once loaded with grain, Russia would help move the ships to international waters.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Tuesday that technical details were still being worked out.
Akar said, “Our efforts are on with regard to technical planning on such issues as how it will be done, how the mines will be cleaned, who will do that, how the corridor will be set up and who will escort (the ships). ”
Lavrov arrived in Turkey days after NATO members Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro reportedly refused to allow his plane to take off from its airspace to reach Serbia. Lavrov’s plane was able to fly over the Black Sea directly to Turkey.
Lavrov’s discussions in the Turkish capital are expected to focus on Turkey’s plans to launch a new cross-border offensive in northern Syria against Syrian Kurdish militias, which Ankara considers a security threat. Turkey needs Moscow’s approval to continue its presence in northern Syria, despite the support of the two opposing sides in the Syrian civil war. In 2020, 37 Turkish soldiers were killed in Russia-backed airstrikes against rebels in Syria’s last rebel-held province of Idlib.
“Turkey really needs Russia’s blessing to be able to run this operation (in Syria). And so I think they’re really going to try to get that kind of concession from the Russian side,” Merv Tahiroglu, Turkish Program Coordinator at the Project on Middle East Democracy.
Lavrov’s meeting also comes as Turkey – a NATO member – has opposed Sweden and Finland’s bids to join the alliance. Moscow has also objected to the candidacy of the Nordic countries – which analysts say could play a role in discussions related to Syria.
Turkey has maintained its close ties with both Ukraine and Russia. criticized it Russia’s invasion of UkraineBut has not joined international sanctions against Russia.