Black Sea grain deal can be extended for at least two months - Çavuşoğlu

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated this after a visit to Moscow, Ukrinform reports citing CNN Türk.

"In fact, the extension was made for 2 months, I think we can get results by extending it for at least another 2 months. I think we will be able to realize this," the TV channel quoted the minister who spoke to journalists at the Antalya airport.

According to Çavuşoğlu, the quadripartite meeting would continue in Istanbul the following day.

The Turkish Foreign Minister also said that he had met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow to discuss a number of issues, with special attention paid to the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

In March this year, Russia announced the extension of the grain corridor agreement for 60 days instead of 120 and set a number of conditions for its further extension. These include connecting Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT; resuming supply of agricultural machinery and service for it; lifting restrictions on insurance and access to ports; resuming the Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline; lifting sanctions against Russian agricultural companies.

As Ukrinform reported, the grain deal was signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022, with the participation of the UN, Ukraine, Türkiye, and Russia. The first ship with Ukrainian food left the port of Odesa on August 1. On November 17, 2022, the agreement was extended for another 120 days, until March 18, 2023.

On March 18, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov announced that the grain deal would be extended for another 120 days. In turn, Russia claimed that the agreement could only be extended for 60 days. The UN confirmed the extension of the agreement but did not name the period that had been agreed upon. Later, Russia repeatedly blocked the movement of ships under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.