By KYIV. May 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ankara wants the Black Sea Grain Initiative to continue functioning, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.
“Our desire is to extend the agreement on grain,” the Anadolu news agency said, citing the minister.
In turn, the country’s Ministry of Defense on Twitter called the negotiations on the extension of the grain initiative positive and constructive.
The participants of the initiative agreed to continue negotiations at the technical level.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022 with the participation of the UN, Ukraine, Turkey and Russia to create a corridor for the export of grain from three Ukrainian ports: Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdenny. The initiative was concluded for 120 days and it was extended twice, the last time on March 18. However, if Ukraine claims that it was extended by 120 days, then Russia claims that it was only 60.
