Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the security of the Black Sea and NATO enlargement.
In a phone conversation initiated by Blinken on Saturday, they also reviewed the developments in South Caucasus region, and the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Turkiye's Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, citing a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Formally called the Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, the Grain Deal Initiative was brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations and signed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov at Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul, on July 22, 2022, in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The deal came to a standstill when Russia refused to extend it beyond July 18, 2023, citing failure of the Western countries to meet its demands regarding exports of Russian grain and fertilizers.
Source: Kuwait News Agency