By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 48 minutes ago, updated 3 minutes ago
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, August 21, 2023. ADEM ALTAN v AFP
The main topic of the Turkish President’s visit to Russia will be the resumption of the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will “soon” travel to Sochi, Russia, to discuss with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin the resumption of the Ukrainian grain export deal, his spokesman Omer Celik announced on Monday, August 28 . “Our President has taken the initiative to prevent the world from falling into a food crisis. He will soon visit Sochi. “We think that new developments could take place after this visit,” affirmed Mr. Celik.
So far, no date for this visit has been communicated by the Turkish and Russian authorities. According to the Bloomberg agency, the Turkish leader could visit Russia on September 8 before leaving for the G20 summit.
In July, Russia withdrew from the agreement that allowed Ukraine to export its grain and has since threatened to attack ships sailing from Ukraine in the Black Sea.
“No alternatives”
Ukraine now relies on land routes and a shallow river port, severely constraining its grain export volumes. Turkey is trying to revive the original deal, hoping to use it as a springboard for broader peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
During a visit to Kiev on Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he saw “no alternative” to reviving the original agreement. Fidan is expected to travel to Moscow in the coming days to discuss the Kremlin’s demands and set up a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.