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Success at Istanbul talks could help extend grain initiative — source

A meeting between deputy defense ministers of Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to discuss the extension of the grain deal that is set to expire on May 18 was originally slated to take place in Istanbul on Friday

ANKARA, May 5. /TASS/. Any success at negotiations on the extension of the grain deal will largely depend on agreements that may be reached at meetings in Istanbul on Friday and next week, an official in Ankara told TASS ahead of a technical meeting between Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations, scheduled for May 5.

"A decision was made to convene a technical meeting with the participation of the UN before holding a meeting at the level of the three countries’ deputy defense ministers. The two are interconnected, and further talks on extending the deal will largely depend on their success," the official said.

A meeting between deputy defense ministers of Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to discuss the extension of the grain deal that is set to expire on May 18 was originally slated to take place in Istanbul on Friday. However, Turkey’s defense chief Hulusi Akar said on Thursday, without disclosing any details, that "the need has arisen" to organize a technical four-party meeting.

On July 22, 2022, a set of documents on supplies of food and fertilizers to the international market was signed in Istanbul. In November 2022, the deal was extended for 120 days. On March 18, Russia announced the extension of the grain deal for another 60 days, saying this would be enough time to assess the effectiveness of the memorandum signed with the UN.

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