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Document on grain exports expected to be signed next week — Turkish defense chief

Accoridng to Hulusi Akar, the talks took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere

ANKARA, July 13. /TASS/. A document on "a grain corridor" is expected to be signed next week, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a statement following a four-party meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday.

"During the talks, which took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere, an agreement was reached on main technical issues, including the creation of a coordination center in Istanbul with the participation of all the parties, as well as efforts to ensure joint control of port exits and along the routes of ships," the statement reads.

"An agreement was also reached that the delegations of Russia and Ukraine will hold another meeting in Turkey next week to discuss all the details and sign a final document," Akar added.

"We can see that the parties are determined to resolve the issue," the Turkish defense chief emphasized, adding that all the work to create a grain corridor would be carried out in coordination with the United Nations.

The establishment of the so-called grain corridor was discussed at a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on June 8. The military delegations of Russia and Turkey held talks on ways to unblock Ukrainian grain exports on June 21. In addition, the defense ministries of Russia, Turkey and Ukraine set up a hotline to coordinate issues related to Ukrainian grain exports. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said following a NATO summit on June 28-30 that Ankara was ready to transport Ukrainian agricultural goods across the Black Sea. Lavrov said on July 8 that Moscow was willing to hold talks with Kiev and Ankara on Ukrainian grain exports. According to him, the militaries should play a key role in the process.

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