Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said that an agreement was reached during the phone call between the two
FILE PHOTO. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting on the sidelines of the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at the Palace of Independence in Astana, Kazakhstan. © Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Türkiye, the office of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, without naming the specific date.
In a statement, the office said that the two leaders spoke on the phone, reaching an agreement on Putin’s visit to the country. It added that they also discussed the UN- and Türkiye-mediated grain deal to unblock agricultural export via the Black Sea. Moscow withdrew from the agreement last month, describing it as a “one-sided game” and pointing to the West’s failure to meet its longstanding demands, including lifting sanctions that hinder its agricultural exports.
According to Erdogan’s office, the Turkish president said that if the grain deal were to remain inactive for a long time, it would have a negative impact on the poorest countries. He added that Türkiye would “continue to make intensive efforts and pursue diplomacy” to maintain the agreement, the statement said.
The Kremlin confirmed the talks, noting that Putin and Erdogan agreed to maintain bilateral contact on various levels, “including in the context of preparations for a possible meeting between the two leaders.”
READ MORE: Russia reminds West of conditions to resume grain deal
During the phone call, Putin said that in the absence of progress in the implementation of the Russian part of the grain deal, the “next extension had lost its meaning,” the statement read. It added that Putin reiterated Moscow’s readiness to recommit to the agreement as soon as the West meets Russia’s demands.
The Kremlin also said that Moscow is working to establish secure routes to supply the most vulnerable countries with Russia grain, “including free of charge.” It noted that this issue was raised at the Russia-Africa Summit last week, adding that Putin said he was willing to cooperate with Türkiye and other interested countries in this regard.
