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Turkey hopes to discuss grain export in Istanbul soon – presidential spokesman

Ankara reported that they are negotiating with Moscow and Kyiv

ANKARA, June 27. /TASS/. Turkey hopes that a four-party meeting on the export of Ukrainian grain will be held in Istanbul soon, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday.

"Currently, we are in talks with Russia and Ukraine. We hope for results soon and for a meeting between representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations in Istanbul," he said in an interview with the Haberturk television channel.

"This meeting will discuss the mechanism of supplies. Work is being done on this plan now," he said, adding that the process of designating a safe naval corridor and the beginning of grain shipments will take three to four weeks.

According to Kalin, it is planned to export some 40 million tonnes of grain from both Ukraine and Russia. "It is a serious figure. It is some 30-35% of global volumes," he stressed, adding that the issue of supplies of Ukrainian grain is of special importance for Turkey. "Thanks to these shipments via Turkey, it (the Turkish side - TASS) will gain strategic positions. Ships will pass via the Bosporus. Like a negotiating table for talks between Ukraine and Russia that we organized in Istanbul, we will bring together the two countries on the matter of grain export," he said.

Issues of a grain corridor was discussed in Ankara on June 8 by Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that Moscow would guarantee unimpeded passage of ships with Ukrainian grain, if Kiev demined its ports and ensured export via Russia-controlled ports, such as Berdyansk and Mariupol.

Talks on the establishment of a safe corridor for exporting Ukrainian grain were held between Turkish and Russian military delegations in Moscow on June 21. Turkey’s foreign and defense ministry described them as positive and constructive and said they would be continued.

The upcoming four-party meeting on the grain problem is expected to be attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.