Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia and has said it is ready to take on a role within an “observation mechanism” if an agreement is reached.
Turkey is co-ordinating closely with Russia and Ukraine to agree on a plan to resume grain exports from Ukrainian ports despite clashes raging elsewhere in the country, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said today.
The UN-sponsored plan will pave the way for a safe shipping corridor to address the global food crisis triggered by the Russian invasion in February, which has halted Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea.
Akar said the four sides were considering how to clear mines outside the port of Odessa and elsewhere along the Ukrainian coast, who would clear them and who would be responsible for protecting the corridor. .
“We are working to complete this as soon as possible,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting late yesterday. “A lot of progress has been made on this issue,” and technical planning continues, he added.
Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia and has said it is ready to take on a role within an “observation mechanism” if an agreement is reached. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÅŸoλουlu is meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov tomorrow to discuss the plan.
