Turkish Foreign Minister discusses regional issues with Russian officials in Moscow

Fidan engaged in a closed-door meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, the Turkish Foreign Ministry reported. Unfortunately, no further details of the meeting were provided.

During his visit, Fidan also met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to discuss a range of topics, including bilateral relations and regional issues, with a particular focus on the Black Sea grain deal.

"At a news conference with Lavrov, Fidan emphasized the importance of fulfilling Russia's demands for the export of its own grain and fertilizer, confirming that 'the UN has prepared a new proposal package with the intense efforts and contributions of our country. We think that this will be a suitable base for the revival of the initiative,'" the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated.

Fidan's two-day working visit preceded an upcoming meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Sochi, Russia's coastal city.

Currently, Turkey continues its efforts to revive the Black Sea grain deal, asserting that there is no alternative to the initiative.

On July 17, Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, which had been brokered by Turkey and the UN, in order to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports. These exports had been halted since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022.

Moscow has consistently voiced complaints about the West's failure to meet its obligations concerning Russia's grain exports. It cites restrictions on payments, logistics, and insurance as barriers to its shipments.

Ankara has been vigorously working toward the restoration of the July 2022 deal and has called on Kiev and Moscow to end the war through diplomatic negotiations.