US hails Türkiye's efforts to revive Black Sea grain deal

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) — The US on Thursday welcomed efforts by Türkiye and others to convince Russia to return to the Black Sea grain deal, from which it withdrew last month.

"We welcome the efforts of Türkiye and other countries to convince Russia to return to the deal," a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions by Anadolu on Ankara's efforts to revive the landmark deal.

"We are engaging with the United Nations and with Türkiye, both of whom have worked very hard to make BSGI (Black Sea Grain Initiative) both possible and functional," the spokesperson said.

Asked by Anadolu about a visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Moscow, where he highlighted the importance of reviving the grain deal, the State Department spokesperson refused to comment on "any potential visit or Türkiye's internal decision making."

"Russia's decision to terminate its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative hurts communities vulnerable to food security around the world," the spokesperson said.

"We thank our NATO Ally Türkiye for its important diplomatic and operational efforts on the Black Sea Grain Initiative and we welcome that they continue to play a constructive role."

Earlier on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. After the meeting, Fidan said a new package of proposals prepared by the UN with Türkiye's contributions could revive the deal.

Türkiye is continuing its efforts to revive the deal and has argued that there is no other alternative.

On July 17, Russia suspended its participation in the deal, brokered by Türkiye and the UN, to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports that were paused after the Ukraine war in February 2022.

Moscow has repeatedly complained that the West has not met its obligations regarding Russia's grain exports. It said restrictions on payments, logistics, and insurance have been a barrier to its shipments.