MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with his visiting Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, to discuss the situation in Ukraine, alternatives to the grain deal, the upcoming visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and a number of bilateral issues.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Fidan would pay a working visit to Moscow on August 31 - September 1.

This will be Fidan’s first visit to Russia after being appointed Turkish foreign minister in June 2023. Since June, he has had three phone calls with Lavrov.

Alternatives to grain deal

The grain deal providing for the export of Ukrainian grain from its Black Sea ports and the normalization of the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets was terminated on July 17 because its Russian part was not implemented. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that Moscow was ready to resume its participation in the deal only when all obligations concerning Russia were implemented.

According to the Russian foreign ministry, the Russian and Turkish ministers are expected to discuss parameters of the implementation of Putin’s initiative to organize supplies of one million tons of Russian grain to Turkey at a reduced price under Qatar’s financial assurance for further processing in Turkey and shipping to the poorest countries. "We consider this project as an optimal working alternative to the Black Sea deal," the ministry said.

Turkey, which mediated the original deal, continues to make diplomatic efforts to resume it. On August 25, Fidan visited Kiev to discuss issues of the Black Sea grain corridor with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

It is not ruled out that Fidan’s visit to Kiev and his subsequent talks with Lavrov are called to lay the basis for possible agreements between the Russian and Turkish leaders. According to the Haberturk television channel, Erdogan plans to go to Russia’s Sochi on September 4 to hold talks with Putin. Erdogan’s one-day visit will be largely focused on the future of the grain deal, it noted.

A source in political circles in Ankara told TASS earlier that Erdogan and Putin may discuss both the original grain deal and possible alternatives for supplies of food.

Situation around Ukraine

The issue of the grain deal cannot be considered separately from the general situation around Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said ahead of the talks that the situation in Ukraine will be high on the agenda of the talks between the Russian and Turkish ministers.

During one of their phone calls, Lavrov told Fidan that Ankara’s course toward continuing weapons supplies to Kiev is destructive and may entail negative consequences. According to the Russian foreign ministry, Lavrov will once again inform the Turkish side about Russia’s positions that following the grain deal termination all ships heading for Ukraine are seen as potential carriers of military cargoes and, hence, involved in the conflict on the side of Kiev.

Apart from that, in July Ankara released to Kiev commanders of the Azov national battalion (outlawed in Russia as a terrorist organization). This topic was also raised during the minister’s phone calls. Lavrov, however, did not provide details of this call. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov slammed this step as a violation of agreements, but noted that this fact will not affect economic cooperation between the two countries.

"The ministers will touch upon humanitarian topics, including prisoner exchange, with a focus on the necessity to observe the existing agreements in this area by both sides. The Russian side also plans to raise the issue of the unacceptability of further military technical cooperation between Ankara and Kiev," the ministry said.

Other international topics to be discussed by the ministers will include the situation in the South Caucasus, in the Middle East and North Africa, in Central Asia, and in the Black Sea region.

Bilateral agenda

According to the Russian foreign minister, the ministers will also analyze the state of Russian-Turkish cooperation, including in the context of the implementation of strategic energy projects. "They will discuss joint work on such strategic projects as the construction of the Akkuyu NPP, the first power unit of which is at a high stage of readiness, the operation of the Turk Stream gas pipeline, the establishment of a gas hub in Turkey," it said.

The two top diplomats are also expected to discuss Turkey’s purchase of planes for extinguishing wildfires. This topics was raised during their telephone conversation on July 18. "The ministers will discuss parameters of additional assistance to Turkey in extinguishing wildfires," the ministry said.

Apart from that, Lavrov and Fidan will discuss the problem of ensuring security of Russian vacationers in Turkey, it added.