Erdogan explained to Putin how much importance Turkey attaches to the “immediate cessation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through negotiations”, the press service of the Turkish president informed regarding the telephone conversation.
Also, the Turkish president thanked Putin for his “positive position regarding the continuation of the Black Sea grain initiative”.
Turkey, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement last June to allow grain exports from three Ukrainian ports that had been blocked since February.
On March 18 this year, the Ukrainian government announced that the grain initiative had been extended by 120 days, although Russia initially agreed to only 60 days. The term of the previous agreement was until March 18.
Erdogan and Putin discussed “measures to strengthen Turkish-Russian relations.
The Turkish president has announced that the countries can take further measures in accordance with the economic cooperation plan that Erdogan and Putin agreed on in Sochi last August.
At that time, the leaders of the two countries agreed to increase bilateral trade to US$100 billion and to strengthen energy, trade and economic cooperation with specific measures.
