Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed hope that a possible bilateral meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin would pave the way for an agreement on the renewal of the Black Sea grain export deal.
Tajani, in an interview with the Italian newspaper "La Stampa", said that "grain prices are rising, and this is the main problem, and there must be an agreement between Russia and Ukraine mediated by Turkey, the only country capable of doing this at this stage."
Commenting on the Russian president's possible visit to Turkey in August, Tajani said he expected "an agreement to be reached."
Tajani said the recent consultations on Ukraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, "are very important, especially because of Beijing's participation, and I hope that China can participate in this peace dialogue.
On the other hand, a diplomatic source told Russia's TASS news agency that the resumption of the Black Sea Cereal Initiative will be one of the main topics during possible personal talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in August.
"It is clear that one of the main issues during the Russian president's possible visit to Turkey will be the revival of the grain deal, and progress in this area will serve to prevent an increase in grain prices after the suspension of the implementation of the Istanbul agreements," the source added.
Worsening grain crisis
The source said that the current situation affects the countries most in need of agricultural products, and this problem must be solved in parallel with Russia's questions directed at the parties to the deal, adding that Ankara expects to reach an agreement with Russia.
On the other hand, the source did not specify the concrete proposals for the resumption of the agreement that the Turkish side is discussing with representatives of the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine.
The source explained that the positive outcome of the situation will strengthen Ankara and Moscow's position in Africa and Asia.
Erdogan said earlier that grain prices rose by 15% in the following two weeks due to the suspension of the grain deal, while falling by 23% during its implementation.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said earlier that Russia could conclude a new grain deal with Turkey, and any options for continuing grain supplies to world markets could be considered.
Asked if it was possible to say that a new grain deal would be concluded between Moscow and Ankara in the future, he told a news briefing: "We are ready to consider different options to continue supplying grain to the world market, grains and fertilizers."
According to Vershinin, Moscow is constantly working on high-level contacts with Ankara.