According to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu, Ankara intends to host a meeting with the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine, as millions of tonnes of grain remain stranded in Ukrainian ports under blockade or Russian occupation.
Turkey is ready to host a “quadripartite meeting” with the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine to organize grain shipments to the Black Sea, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu said today.
Millions of tonnes of grain remain stranded in Ukrainian ports under siege or Russian occupation, and their transport is made dangerous by mines.
According to the Turkish Foreign Minister, the United Nations has submitted a plan to facilitate exports.
“This plan could work without the demining of sea lanes,” he said, referring to the creation of “safe roads” in the Black Sea.
“The demining would take a very long time,” he said.
“Turkey supports this plan and is waiting for a response from Russia. “Meetings at the technical level between the military continue,” Tsavousoglou stressed.
“If Russia responds favorably, a quadripartite meeting could be held to study in detail (the plan) with the UN, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine.”
“We have to respond to everyone’s concerns,” he said. .
The Turkish Foreign Minister last week hosted his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Ankara to discuss exports from Ukrainian ports under the threat of a serious food crisis, but the meeting of the two top officials did not yield any results.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman, Stefan Duradzic, reiterated Turkey’s role in the case.
“We are in close contact and working closely with the Turkish authorities on this issue,” he said, believing that “the role of the Turkish army will be crucial.”
