NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is in Turkey on a three-day visit. On Thursday, he will meet the country’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. Turkey has blocked the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden.
17:30•Updated 18:24
Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg will meet the Turkish foreign minister on Thursday Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. broadcasts their press conference live, which was scheduled to start at 18:20.
During the three-day visit, reportedly on Friday, Stoltenberg will also meet the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The discussions during Stoltenberg’s visit to Turkey are expected to address at least the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden and the continuation of the Black Sea grain transport agreement brokered by the UN and Turkey.
Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO countries that have not yet accepted Finland’s membership. Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (green) said on Wednesday that, according to his understanding, Hungary is ready to ratify Finland’s NATO application in December.
Turkey has been blocking Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership for months. It has accused Finland and Sweden of supporting terrorist groups.
However, Turkey has made it clear that it has more problems with Sweden than with Finland.
Russia has not yet decided on its continuation in the grain agreement
In recent days, there has been uncertainty about the fate of Ukrainian grain shipments, as Russia pulled out of the agreement at the weekend after the port of Sevastopol was attacked.
Russia has claimed that Ukraine used the sea corridor in the drone attack on the port. Ukraine has denied this.
Yesterday, Wednesday, Russia returned to the agreement allowing the transports. Today, seven ships carrying grain have left the Black Sea ports of Ukraine.
The agreement brokered by the UN and Turkey is on hold later this month. According to the Kremlin, Russia has not yet decided whether it intends to continue participating in the agreement.
On Thursday, the Kremlin praised Turkey’s role when the agreement was reached in time.
AFP, Reuters
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