Turkey is ready to host a four-party talks to organize the export of grain across the Black Sea. This is what the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu says.
Millions of tonnes of wheat are trapped in Ukrainian ports, which are either blocked or occupied by Russia. According to Mevlüt Cavusoglu, the UN has presented a plan to facilitate exports, where safe corridors could be established without demining in the Black Sea.
He now wants the country to host a meeting in which the UN, Russia and Ukraine participate, in addition to Turkey.
– If Russia gives a positive answer, a four-party talks will be held in Istanbul, says Cavusoglu.
Already last week, Russian-Turkish talks were held on grain exports that did not reach an agreement. Russia’s condition for releasing ships with Ukrainian exports is that Ukraine clears its own mines along the coast, which Ukraine refuses, as it would open up for new Russian attacks.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, maize and sunflower oil. Last week, 20-25 million tonnes of grain were said to be stuck in ports, and President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that it could grow to 70-75 million tonnes in the autumn.