ANKARA, May 4. /TASS/. Technical level talks on the grain deal will take place among Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN on May 5, Turkey's defense minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.

"The need has arisen to organize a meeting with the technical staff of the UN, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine on the grain deal, which will take place tomorrow. The meeting of deputy defense ministers will take place after that next week," Akar said.

On July 22, 2022, a package of agreements on food and fertilizer exports to the global market was inked in Istanbul for a period of 120 days, and then was extended for the same period in November. On March 18, 2023, Russia announced that the deal would be extended for 60 more days, saying this would be enough time to assess the efficacy of the memorandum signed with the UN.

The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that any additional extensions of the deal would hinge on whether the Russian Agricultural Bank is reconnected to SWIFT; the exports of agricultural equipment, spare parts and maintenance services resume; the insurance and reinsurance restrictions as well as the ban on calls to ports are lifted; the Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline is restarted; and foreign assets and accounts of Russian companies related to production and transportation of food and fertilizers are unblocked.