ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Russian participation in a U.N.-brokered Ukrainian grain export deal was to resume on Wednesday.
Speaking in parliament, Erdogan said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had informed his Turkish counterpart that the deal will resume.
“After the call we held yesterday with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, Russian Defence Minister Mr. Shoigu called our National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and expressed that the grain transports will continue as agreed before as of 1200 (pm) today,” Erdogan said.
Citing the Russian defence ministry, state news agency TASS reported shortly after Erdogan’s comments that Russia will resume its participation in the Black Sea grain deal.
The export deal was agreed upon by Russia and Ukraine and brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July to ease a world hunger crisis caused in part by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, a major grain producer, and an earlier blockade of its ports. It is due to expire on Nov. 19.
Russia suspended its participation on Saturday, saying it was responding to a drone attack on Moscow’s fleet in Crimea that it blamed on Ukraine. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility and denies using the grain programme’s security corridor for military purposes.
(Reporting by Nevzat Devranoglu, Editing by Ali Kucukgocmen and Louise Heavens)
