2023-09-04 16:11:43
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Europa Press/Contact/Recep Tayyip Erdogan Office
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The Turkish president reiterates his readiness to facilitate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
MADRID, 4 (EUROPA PRESS)
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, confirmed this Monday together with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that Moscow is willing to reactivate the grain agreement with Ukraine, suspended since July, although it has made the lifting of restrictions a condition. for the export of Russian agricultural products.
Putin has criticized in a press conference that the West continues to “block Russian demands” on the agreement. “They refuse to remove the sanctions on the export of our cereals and fertilizers, to resume the supply of agricultural machinery and spare parts,” he explained.
The grain export agreement was reached a year ago in the Turkish city of Istanbul with the mediation of the Turkish authorities and the United Nations. The pact allowed Ukrainian grain and Russian agricultural products to be exported through ports on the Black Sea and the Bosphorus Strait.
The Russian president has indicated that Russia will have a harvest this year of 130 million tons of cereals, of which 60 million can be exported. Thus, he has announced that Moscow will begin to supply grain to six African countries “in a couple of weeks.”
Putin, who has met this Monday in the city of Sochi with Erdogan, has stressed that both have dealt with “the situation around Ukraine”. “Today’s talks will certainly serve to further develop the Russian-Turkish partnership in all fields,” he stressed.
In any case, the Russian president has described the counteroffensive launched by the Ukrainian forces to try to recover the territories occupied by Russia as a “failure”. “They have not achieved anything. It has failed,” he stressed.
On the other hand, Putin has warned that Ukraine is trying to attack the gas pipelines that supply Turkey through the Black Sea. “Attempts are being made to attack the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines, through which Russia supplies gas to the Turkish republic,” he said, while promising that Russian warships guard these pipelines. with drones launched from the Ukrainian ports of the Black Sea,” he reproached.
For his part, his Turkish counterpart reiterated his willingness to facilitate negotiations with Ukraine for a “peaceful solution” to the conflict: “We are determined to continue our efforts to establish lasting peace, stability and prosperity in our region,” he said. added, according to the Anatolia news agency.
Regarding the grain export agreement, Erdogan explained that Ankara and the UN are preparing new proposals to achieve its reactivation and has expressed his hope that it can be achieved “soon”.
“The alternatives that have been presented do not represent a sustainable, safe and stable model based on cooperation between the parties, such as the Black Sea Initiative,” he argued.
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