In the city of Sotchi, Russia, on Monday, September 4th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a tantalizing promise of a “very important” announcement concerning the export of Ukrainian cereals, following his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. President Putin, in response, expressed his willingness to engage in discussions and revive the agreement, provided that his conditions were met.
Upon his arrival in Sotchi, President Erdogan emphasized the significance of the message they intended to convey during the ensuing press conference, particularly for developing African nations. “I believe that the message we will deliver at the press conference following our meeting will be of great importance to the world, especially for developing African countries,” President Erdogan remarked.
Erdogan also revealed that Turkey, in consultation with the United Nations, had formulated “new proposals” to resurrect the Ukrainian cereal export agreement. “We have prepared a new set of proposals in consultation with the UN. I believe that achieving results is possible,” stated the Turkish head of state during a joint press conference with Vladimir Putin.
President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, expressed his willingness to engage in discussions with President Erdogan regarding the agreement that permits the export of Ukrainian cereals via the Black Sea, an accord from which Moscow withdrew on July 17th, with Ankara subsequently endeavoring to revive it.
The Russian leader stated his readiness to reinstate the agreement, contingent upon the fulfillment of specific demands. “We will do it as soon as all the agreements within it concerning the lifting of restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products are fully implemented,” affirmed Vladimir Putin during a press conference in Sotchi, in the southern region of Russia, alongside his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Russia maintains that its entry into the international market with its agricultural products and fertilizers has been hampered by Western sanctions.
Following his meeting with Vladimir Putin, President Erdogan voiced his opposition to “alternative proposals” to the cereal agreement presented by Moscow. He opined that these alternative propositions would not be able to provide a sustainable and secure model based on cooperation between the parties, unlike the Black Sea Initiative, as he asserted during the press conference in Sotchi.