ANKARA, June 7. /TASS/. Ankara is ready to fulfill its obligations within the framework of ensuring the safety of grain export from Ukrainian ports, the Turkish Defense Ministry said following a telephone conversation between Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on Tuesday.
"In connection with the food crisis, considerable attention was paid to the measures that can be taken for the safe transportation of grain, sunflower seeds and other agricultural products. Turkey vowed commitment to providing support in the field of humanitarian assistance and reiterated its readiness to fulfill its part [of the obligations] for the sake of achieving peace in the region ", the Defense Ministry said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will discuss the details of the "grain corridor" with the Turkish leadership in Ankara Wednesday.
Previously, Turkish authorities said that the Istanbul talks on establishment of the so-called grain center proceed mostly positively, and shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea and the straits area may begin shortly.
The situation in Ukraine and the large-scale sanctions, imposed by the US and the EU against Russia, caused disruption of grain shipments, which increases the risk of a food crisis in a number of states. Since the beginning of the year, wheat and corn prices have increased significantly. During the May 21 UN Security Council meeting, it was noted that global wheat reserves will last for just 10 weeks, and the situation is worse than back during the 2007-2008 years.
Lavrov said earlier that the global food crisis has begun long before the special military operation in Ukraine, it was caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the miscalculations of the West, among other things. Lavrov noted that the current situation exaggerated the problem, and the Western sanctions have become one of the key reasons behind the disrupted food shipments, which escalated the crisis.