MOSCOW —
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan
will meet Tuesday in Tehran to discuss Ukraine grain export mechanisms, a
Kremlin source said Monday.
اضافة اعلان
The two leaders
will meet in the Iranian capital with the conflict in Ukraine massively
hampering shipments from one of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat and
other grain, sparking fears of global food shortages.
“Firstly, we are
ready to continue the work in this direction, secondly this issue is going to
be discussed by the presidents,” Russian news agencies quoted presidential
advisor Yuri Ushakov as saying.
The Russian
defense ministry had indicated Friday that a “final document” on the subject
mediated by the
UN would be soon ready to release some 20 million tons of
currently blocked grain exports as well as those of Russian grain and
fertilizer currently held back under Western sanctions.
According to
Ushakov, a coordination center is to be opened in Istanbul allowing routing of
those exports via the Black Sea.
Turkish Defense
Minister
Hulusi Akar confirmed for his part Monday that “an agreement in
principle ... has been found” between Ukraine and Russia to establish a secure
sea corridor allowing grain transport.
Turkey — a NATO
member on speaking terms with both Russia and Ukraine — has spearheaded efforts
to resume the grain deliveries.
An official
Turkish source requesting anonymity said another meeting could take place
“Wednesday or Thursday”, following the Tehran talks.
The news that
Putin and Erdogan are to meet came on a day which saw
EU foreign policy chief
Josep Borrell warn Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports threatens supplies to
countless thousands vulnerable to starvation.
Borrell dubbed
the issue “one of life and death for many human beings”.
Russian and
Ukrainian negotiators were already scheduled to meet UN and Turkish diplomats
in Istanbul on Wednesday to discuss a possible agreement to end the months-long
blockade of Ukraine’s ports following the February invasion.
Russia has
captured some
Black Sea ports and bombarded others, including the key grain
exporting outlet in the city of Odessa. Ukraine has meanwhile mined the
approaches to some of its ports to protect them from Russian assault.
Ukraine’s farms
are a major source of grain for the world market, in particular for the MENA
region, where food supplies are critically tight.
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