Source: Turkey, UN working on grain talks with Russian delegation

ANKARA, Aug 28 (PRIME) -- Turkey and the U.N. are working on grain negotiations with the technical delegation of Russia in Istanbul, a source participating in the negotiations told PRIME on Monday.

"We are working on the possibility of a meeting. We are preparing detailed proposals for discussion. Contacts are being held through the corresponding channels. The process has not stopped," the official said.

Ankara and the U.N. hope for productive negotiations on the future of the deal between Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the source said.

The official separately said that ship passage via the routes alternative to the grain deal one and without Russia's participation cannot guarantee safety.

Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the U.N. coordinated the Black Sea Grain Initiative that encompassed exports of Ukrainian grain and food through the Black Sea ports in July 2022, Moscow left the deal on July 18. Putin said last week that Russia was ready to return to the grain deal in case of fulfillment of liabilities to the country.

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