Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Turkey on Thursday, according to an official Turkish source, for talks on the July 2022 deal on the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
Sergei Lavrov met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner in the capital Ankara.
He must give a joint press conference with Mevlut Cavusoglu and then meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Resume peace talks
Turkey, a NATO member, is trying to persuade Russia and Ukraine to resume peace talks, hoping to build on diplomatic efforts made over the past year.
"
Despite the complication of the international situation, the Russian-Turkish political dialogue, mainly at the level of the heads of the two states, continues
," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued before the start of Sergei Lavrov's visit. .
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The head of Russian diplomacy, who last visited Turkey in June, is also due to discuss with Turkish officials the grain deal, which the Russian Foreign Ministry says has been extended "
as a gesture of goodwill for another sixty days
".
Turkey requested a 120-day extension, as per the original agreement.
Ukraine is one of the world's leading grain producers.
The agreement negotiated by Ankara and the United Nations in July 2022 has so far enabled the export of more than 25 million tonnes of cereals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan have a close relationship, either over the phone or in face-to-face meetings.
Last year, they met four times.