Turkey, Russia to discuss food corridor in Black Sea, Lavrov due in Ankara
ANKARA
Turkish and Russian top diplomats, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Sergey Lavrov will discuss the modalities of a secure corridor to be established through the Black Sea for the shipment of nearly 20 million tons of grain to world markets to avoid a major global food crisis.
Lavrov and Çavuşoğlu will first hold a bilateral meeting and then chair their delegations before a joint press conference on June 8 in the Turkish capital. The Russian foreign minister is expected to be accompanied by a military delegation.
One of the most important issues to be discussed between the two ministers will be ways to overcome an impending global food crisis due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine which has blocked the transfer of the latter’s millions of tons of grains in the silos of Odessa Port.
The process requires detailed work and the consent of both Russia and Ukraine. Talks to be held in Ankara between Turkish and Russian authorities are expected to be followed with more technical meetings with the participation of the UN and Ukraine.
De-mining of the Odessa Port and creating necessary conditions for safe navigation of the vessels through the Black Sea are the most important parts of the project. Talks between the parties are seeking ways to fulfill these conditions.
Russian newspaper Izvestiya suggested that Turkey and Russia agreed on a plan for exporting Ukrainian wheat to the world markets, claiming that the Turkish military will help Ukraine to de-mine the Odessa Port while Russian military vessels will escort the cargo ships in the Black Sea.
Progress achieved on grain export
“A lot of progress has been achieved on grain export from Ukraine,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a statement on June 7. He had a phone conversation with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov earlier this week and discussed the developments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We are discussing with Russia and Ukraine, and the UN. We are trying to solve this issue. A lot of progress has been made in this regard. Work continues on technical planning issues such as how it will be done, how the mines will be cleared, who will do it, how the corridor will be created, and who will safeguard it,” Akar told reporters on June 7.
Asked about the role that Turkey will assume on the issue, Akar said that Turkey “coordinates” the work at the moment. “The process is progressing because there is a will for a solution by all parties,” he said and added that the main hurdle in the talks is “trust.”
“Everyone wants to be mutually sure of something. We are working to ensure that trust,” he stated.
Russia is ready to discuss opportunities for exporting Ukrainian grain and Ukraine should clear mines from coastal waterways and ports that it has been blocking, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said last week.
