UPDATE - Now it's time to focus on Ukraine cease-fire, says top Turkish diplomat

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) – Following last week’s breakthrough deal on grain exports, Türkiye’s foreign minister said on Thursday "now it is time to focus on brokering a cease-fire" between Russia and Ukraine.

Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, Mevlut Cavusoglu praised the grain exports deal signed in Istanbul last Friday with the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, saying the obstacles "to exports of not only Ukrainian grain but also Russian grain and fertilizer" have come down, helping to feed a hungry world.

The parties, during talks in Istanbul, agreed to form a coordination center to carry out joint inspections at the entrances and exits of harbors and to ensure the safety of the routes.

Internationally praised for its mediator role, Türkiye has coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv to open a corridor from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to resume global grain shipments, which have been long stuck due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its sixth month.

Voicing hope that the deal will be implemented without any interruptions or issues, Cavusoglu said the grain and wheat could then be transported to countries that are in urgent need.

If the deal is successfully implemented, he added, "it could really boost trust between Russia and Ukraine."

"Now it’s time to focus on a cease-fire. This is not just a process to be carried out at the level of foreign ministers," Cavusoglu added, voicing Türkiye’s readiness to host and mediate talks between Russia and Ukraine towards a lasting peace.

Emphasizing that there is no loser in peace if there is a fair cease-fire, Cavusoglu said the war on Ukraine will end at the negotiating table eventually.

"As Türkiye, we will continue our efforts to make parties return to the diplomacy table as soon as possible," he added.

By keeping the door open with both Ukraine and Russia, Türkiye has been praised for its leading role in bringing the countries together to move towards peace, including a meeting this March in the Turkish seaside resort of Antalya.

- ‘Türkiye-Georgia relations at exemplary level’

On relations with Georgia, the Turkish minister said they discussed ways to further develop bilateral relations.

"Our neighborhood and strategic relations are at an exemplary level," Cavusoglu said, noting that Türkiye attaches importance to economic ties with Georgia.

"We have been the greatest trade partner of Georgia for 14 years. Our bilateral trade passed $2 billion last year (2021)," the minister noted, reminding of the $3 billion target set forth between the two countries.

He also said that the scope of the free trade agreement should be extended, adding that Türkiye follows a "win-win policy" in its diplomatic relations. The bilateral trade needs to be balanced to favor both countries, he added.

Cavusoglu said: “Türkiye is one of the countries that strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.”

“We want the Abkhazia and South Ossetian conflicts to be resolved peacefully within Georgia's territorial integrity,” he added, expressing Türkiye's "strong support" for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration.

Without giving a specific date, Cavusoglu said Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also plans to visit Georgia.

Separately, the minister announced that he will leave for Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent on Aug. 2 to attend a trilateral meeting of Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan foreign, transport and energy ministers.

For his part, Darchiashvili called the meeting with his Turkish counterpart "very beneficial," saying they discussed economic relations as well as transportation and energy matters.

He said they have agreed to deepen bilateral collaboration, noting that Türkiye and Georgia have proved many times that they are reliable partners and good neighbors.