MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Ankara’s contribution to closing of the grain deal, but also noted the necessity to lift restrictions on Russian exports of food and fertilizers, the press service of the Kremlin said in a statement following a telephone conversation between the leaders on Thursday.
"Gratitude was extended for Turkey’s contribution to reaching agreements on grain supplies from Black Sea ports and exports of Russian agriculture products and fertilizers reached in Istanbul. That said, the necessity to implement this package grain deal particularly as a whole, including the removal of barriers for supplies of food and fertilizers from Russia to global markets, was noted," the statement said.
A package of documents aimed at resolving the issue of food and fertilizer supplies to global markets was signed in Istanbul on July 22. One of the documents created a mechanism to export grain from Ukraine-controlled Black Sea ports. The deal inked between Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN provides for the establishment of a four-party coordination center whose representatives will inspect grain ships in order to prevent arms smuggling and false flag operations.