Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan started negotiations in Sochi

The Presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan, have started negotiations, TASS reports. The meeting takes place in the Green Hall of the “Imperial” building of the Sochi sanatorium “Rus”.

This is the first meeting of the two leaders after the completion of the grain deal in mid-July. As Reuters writes, Erdogan will try to convince Putin to return to the agreement on the export of grain from Ukraine.

• The grain deal, according to which food was exported from Black Sea ports blocked by Russia, was concluded in July 2022. The four-way agreement was signed by representatives of Ukraine and Russia with the participation of Turkey and the UN. The agreement stipulated the conditions for the unimpeded export of agricultural products across the Black Sea from Russian and Ukrainian ports under the guarantee of intermediaries.
• On July 17, Russia withdrew from the grain deal. Moscow stated that part of the agreements concerning the export of Russian fertilizers and foodstuffs have not been fulfilled.