Grain corridor should be revived, Turkish top diplomat says

ANKARA

Türkiye has underscored the importance of the resurrection of the grain corridor through the Black Sea so that Russian and Ukrainian food products can be safely and uninterruptedly transported to the world markets ahead of next week’s visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Türkiye.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was in Malta for bilateral talks with his counterpart, Ian Borg, on Feb. 6, confirmed a planned visit by Putin to Türkiye at a joint press conference.

“The revival of the grain corridor is essential in order to tackle one of the most important harms of the war. We agree [with Maltese FM] on the importance of the safe shipment of Russian and Ukrainian grain to the world markets,” Fidan said.

Putin is expected to visit Türkiye for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 12 although no official statement has been made from either side. Fidan acknowledged that Putin will soon visit Türkiye to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional matters.

“We will continue our regular dialogue with Russia,” he said, underlining that the two sides are in constant cooperation in the field of energy. Apart from it, regional issues regarding Syria, Caucasus and the Middle East will be on the agenda, Fidan stressed, “We need to constantly review our positions to prevent the spread of the conflicts.”

Maltese Foreign Minister Borg also underlined the role Türkiye has been playing in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war and hailed the country’s success in brokering a deal between the two warring sides on the creation of the grain corridor.

Russia decided to suspend the grain initiative in mid-2023 on the grounds that it could not export its own products due to the secondary sanctions on banking, shipment and insurance.

Fidan to go to Libya

Fidan announced that he will visit Libya after Malta to hold talks with senior leadership of the north African country.

“Our priority regarding Libya is to reach peace through dialogue. The current fragmentation between the East and West of Libya should not be a permanent one,” he said, recalling that the views of Türkiye and Malta coincide on these issues.

Turkish top diplomat also informed that Türkiye’s General Consulate in Benghazi will soon be reopened