Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call that he would continue diplomatic efforts to revive the grain export initiative via the Black Sea, according to Erdogan's office. The Turkish presidential statement noted that Erdogan and Putin agreed on a visit of the Russian president to Turkey.
The statement emphasized that "President Erdogan stressed the importance of refraining from steps that would escalate tensions during the Russian-Ukrainian war," confirming the significance of the Black Sea grain initiative, which he described as a "bridge of peace."
For his part, the Russian president informed his Turkish counterpart that Moscow is prepared to return to the grain export agreement via the Black Sea once the West meets its obligations regarding Russian grain exports. The Kremlin stated that Putin clarified the reasons for Russia's withdrawal from the agreement last month during his call with Erdogan.
The agreement, mediated by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, allowed for the safe export of grains from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea. Moscow withdrew from the agreement last month, accusing the West of obstructing Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
