MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held discussions on the progress of the grain deal and the situation in northern Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"At the initiative of the Turkish side, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu and Turkish Republic’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held telephone talks on November 24, 2022. The current situation in northern Syria and some issues related to the progress of the ‘Black Sea Initiative’ were discussed during the said talks," the ministry said in a statement.

The agreements for food exports from Ukraine were concluded in Istanbul on July 22 for 120 days. One of the agreements, which regulated grain exports from the Kiev-controlled ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny, was initially valid until November 19.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on November 17 said the grain deal was extended for 120 days. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the extension was automatic because none of the parties to the deal - Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN - had any objections.