ANKARA, August 2. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should hold talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and US President Joe Biden, if he really wants to see the resumption of the grain deal, Aydin Sezer, a political scientist and economist and former Turkish trade representative to Russia, has told TASS.

"During the long-awaited telephone talks between Putin and Erdogan the Russian president explained Russia's position and the conditions under which Moscow would return to the grain deal. The way I see it, President Erdogan's negotiating partners in grain deal talks should be not Putin, but Guterres and Biden. Russia has already repeatedly stated that the Russian part of the grain deal is not being implemented. This was stated to Erdogan once again," the expert emphasized.

Earlier on Wednesday, the first telephone conversation between Putin and Erdogan in more than five weeks took place. The presidents agreed on preparations for a possible meeting, discussed trade and economic ties between Moscow and Ankara, projects in the energy sector and tourism. Putin said Russia was set to cooperate with Turkey and other countries concerned on various options of supplying grain to needy states. Erdogan promised that Turkey would continue its active efforts and use diplomacy in a bid to prolong the Black Sea Grain initiative.

The grain deal expired on July 17. Speaking at the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Forum late last week, Putin said that Russia had agreed to participate in the deal because its terms included the removal of illegitimate obstacles to the supply of grain and fertilizers from Russia to world markets. None of these conditions have been met.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said that the grain deal could be resumed "in a new form," but this would require certain steps by the West.