Zelenskyy, Erdogan Move to Secure Black Sea Grain Corridor
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had agreed to work together on the Black Sea grain corridor, a key export route for Ukraine.
“Today, I reached an agreement with President Erdogan to work on the Black Sea grain corridor. Our goal is to ensure that this corridor remains in place and continues to function effectively,” Zelenskyy said at a joint news conference in Istanbul after talks with Erdogan.
Türkiye played a pivotal part in creating the first Black Sea grain corridor, which operated in 2022-2023.
Zelenskyy said Ankara backs efforts to guarantee safe navigation in the Black Sea and to restore normal living conditions in the region.
“Türkiye consistently supports our efforts to ensure our sovereignty and territorial integrity, secure safe navigation in the Black Sea, and restore normal living conditions in the Black Sea region,” he said.
He described the two countries as allies in defense and the defense industry and said their cooperation would keep expanding.
“We are working on new joint industrial ventures and other economic projects. The free trade agreement between our nations has entered into force, creating new opportunities for both the Ukrainian and Turkish business communities,” he said.
Progress on freedom of navigation, Zelenskyy added, would help unlock the accord’s full potential, while energy and infrastructure projects offered major opportunities for both sides.
“Especially at a time when the Russians have intensified their terrorist attacks on the energy infrastructure of our cities and villages, every energy project we undertake with our partners carries great importance,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader said he also met representatives of Turkish energy companies and expected deliveries of generators and other energy equipment to rise in the coming week.
He called for swift implementation of the agreements struck at presidential level and thanked Türkiye for its continued backing, saying security and economic cooperation was deepening despite difficult circumstances.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine was preparing for trilateral talks with Russia and the United States, scheduled for the first half of November.
“We discussed the prospects of this format and other possibilities with the president, specifically the potential for including Türkiye and the rest of Europe in the process, as well as the possibility of holding meetings here in Türkiye,” he said.
He stressed that “strong decisions are needed to achieve peace” and urged that Russia be told at every level that there is no alternative to peace and that support for Ukraine will not weaken.
De-escalation is achievable, he said, if Russia is compelled to take steps to reduce tensions.
After the news conference, Zelenskyy called the meeting “important and substantive,” noting that it fell on International Black Sea Day and centered largely on regional issues. He said the leaders covered food security, joint industrial and economic projects, and energy and infrastructure cooperation.
He summed up the talks in a post on US social media platform X:
“I’m grateful to President Erdoğan for our clear and substantive cooperation and for Türkiye’s readiness to support all promising ideas that can bring us closer to real peace and security,” he wrote.
“Today, I reached an agreement with President Erdogan to work on the Black Sea grain corridor. Our goal is to ensure that this corridor remains in place and continues to function effectively,” Zelenskyy said at a joint news conference in Istanbul after talks with Erdogan.
Türkiye played a pivotal part in creating the first Black Sea grain corridor, which operated in 2022-2023.
Zelenskyy said Ankara backs efforts to guarantee safe navigation in the Black Sea and to restore normal living conditions in the region.
“Türkiye consistently supports our efforts to ensure our sovereignty and territorial integrity, secure safe navigation in the Black Sea, and restore normal living conditions in the Black Sea region,” he said.
He described the two countries as allies in defense and the defense industry and said their cooperation would keep expanding.
“We are working on new joint industrial ventures and other economic projects. The free trade agreement between our nations has entered into force, creating new opportunities for both the Ukrainian and Turkish business communities,” he said.
Progress on freedom of navigation, Zelenskyy added, would help unlock the accord’s full potential, while energy and infrastructure projects offered major opportunities for both sides.
“Especially at a time when the Russians have intensified their terrorist attacks on the energy infrastructure of our cities and villages, every energy project we undertake with our partners carries great importance,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader said he also met representatives of Turkish energy companies and expected deliveries of generators and other energy equipment to rise in the coming week.
He called for swift implementation of the agreements struck at presidential level and thanked Türkiye for its continued backing, saying security and economic cooperation was deepening despite difficult circumstances.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine was preparing for trilateral talks with Russia and the United States, scheduled for the first half of November.
“We discussed the prospects of this format and other possibilities with the president, specifically the potential for including Türkiye and the rest of Europe in the process, as well as the possibility of holding meetings here in Türkiye,” he said.
He stressed that “strong decisions are needed to achieve peace” and urged that Russia be told at every level that there is no alternative to peace and that support for Ukraine will not weaken.
De-escalation is achievable, he said, if Russia is compelled to take steps to reduce tensions.
After the news conference, Zelenskyy called the meeting “important and substantive,” noting that it fell on International Black Sea Day and centered largely on regional issues. He said the leaders covered food security, joint industrial and economic projects, and energy and infrastructure cooperation.
He summed up the talks in a post on US social media platform X:
“I’m grateful to President Erdoğan for our clear and substantive cooperation and for Türkiye’s readiness to support all promising ideas that can bring us closer to real peace and security,” he wrote.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment