"We are working hard to ensure the smooth implementation and further extension of the grain deal. I discussed it with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday," the top Turkish diplomat told the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Qatar.
Cavusoglu recalled that the initiative had helped households in the least developed countries by bringing down global food prices.
On July 22, 2022, Russia, Ukraine, Turkiye and the United Nations struck a deal to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The agreement was extended in November and is now set to expire in less than two weeks, on March 18.
A source familiar with the talks on its extension told Sputnik on Friday that the process was deadlocked. One of the stumble blocks, they said, was guarantees for the access of Russian food and fertilizers to the global market.