Working on extending UN-brokered grain export from Ukraine: Turkey

Istanbul: Turkey's administration said on Sunday that it is trying to extend the UN-backed initiative that powered grain export from Ukrainian ports which were blocked by Russia after its invasion, Reuters reported.

The UN-Turkey brokered initiative, titled Black Sea Grain, had allowed the export of grain from three ports in Ukraine. The agreement, extended in November, is going to expire on March 18 if another extension is added.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara is working hard for the smooth implementation and further extension of the Black Sea Grain deal. He was talking at the United Nations Conference in Doha, Qatar, on Least Developed Countries.

Further, Cavusoglu said that he had discussions on extension efforts with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

But Russia posed a condition on Wednesday that it would concur to extend the Black Sea Grain if Moscow's interests of own agricultural producers are also taken into account, Reuters reported.