Work on revitalization of Black Sea grain deal started: Turkish President Erdogan

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Work has begun to revitalize the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday.

Erdogan and Zelenskyy met on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war and regional and global issues.

Türkiye continues its efforts to end the conflict that began in February 2022 for a just peace, Erdogan told Zelenskyy during the closed-door meeting.

Erdogan said Ankara is ready for any initiative, including mediation, to lay the groundwork for peace.

Ankara has time and again called on Kyiv and Moscow to end fighting through negotiations.

Türkiye first hosted a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in March 2022.

The efforts led to the landmark grain deal in 2022, but Moscow did not extend the agreement after July 2023, citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.