Antonio Guterres

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Two Turkish sources told Reuters on Thursday that the meeting would primarily discuss Black Sea grain exports.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sent a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, which outlines a set of new proposals for Russia's return to the Black Sea grain initiative, in parallel with Ankara's intensified efforts to this end.

Türkiye's foreign minister Hakan Fidan said on a visit to Moscow on Aug. 31 that reviving a deal to ship Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea was "critical" for food security.

Fidan was in Moscow to prepare an informal summit between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Russia's Black Sea resort city of Sochi next week.

Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has warned about the dire consequences of suspending grain shipments from Ukraine and Russia to the world, highlighting that over 33 million tons of grain have been shipped through the crucial initiative.

Following an initiative launched by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the presidents of the member-states of the Arraiolos Group - Greece, Italy, Croatia, Malta, Portugal, and Slovenia - issued a joint appeal on Thursday, urging urgent action to address the dangers posed by the climate crisis in the Mediterranean.

Türkiye has welcomed a resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly that considers all acts of violence against Holy Books as violation of international law, in a move that comes after multiple Quran burning incidents in Sweden and Denmark that caused outrage in the Muslim world.

Ankara is diligently working to maintain the grain corridor to avert a potential global food crisis, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has emphasized, making an appeal for Russia to rejoin the discussions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has engaged in discussions with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, addressing the developments surrounding the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia.

Intense diplomatic efforts are underway in Ankara as Türkiye seeks to renew a vital agreement between Ukraine and Russia, allowing Ukrainian grain to access global markets through the Turkish straits.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to extend the Black Sea grain deal which expires next week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on July 14

Erdoğan told reporters he had spoken with his Russian counterpart about the crucial deal allowing for the export of Ukrainian grain to ease a global food crisis.