ANKARA, September 14. /TASS/: Specific conditions necessary for the resumption of the grain deal will be on the agenda of the planned talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the High-level Week of the UN General Assembly, a diplomatic source in Ankara told TASS.
"The UN Secretary-General said yesterday that he was planning meetings on the grain issue, including talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As you remember, our president has previously mentioned the fulfillment of conditions for the grain corridor revival and the continuation of work with the UN. We expect that specific conditions for the effective and rapid revival of the deal will be discussed at the meeting in the US," the agency source said.
He recalled that Ankara intended to ask the UN to complete the proposals for Russia in the grain deal context, specifying the measures to be taken. The agenda includes sending a new letter on these agreements to the Russian leadership.
As Erdogan said, "Western countries need to undertake measures at this stage in order to fulfill the promises given to Russia," including ship insurance and the lifting of restrictions in the banking sector. He also emphasized that the issue is not only grain, but also the export of Russian fertilizers and this "should be taken seriously."
The grain deal, an agreement on a corridor for ships carrying Ukrainian grain signed in July 2022, expired on July 18. Russia has notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN of objections to its extension.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the terms of the deal with regard to Russia were not implemented despite the UN's efforts, as the Western countries were not going to fulfill their promises. Putin pointed out that the West exported most of the Ukrainian grain to its own states, and the main goal of the deal which is supplies of grain to the countries in need was never realized. Nevertheless, Moscow said that it was ready to promptly return to the grain deal, but the part pertaining to Russia should be implemented.
