Turkey to make efforts to further extend Black Sea grain deal

• Turkey will expand the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
• Which ensures safe passage for ships delivering crucial grain exports from Ukraine.
• After Russia accepted a 60-day extension.

Turkey will endeavor to significantly expand the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which ensures safe passage for ships delivering crucial grain exports from Ukraine, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt avuşolu.

The agreement was supposed to end today, but this week’s extension will allow shipments to continue for at least 60 days.

“Russia said it could be extended for a period of two months. … After this two-month period, we will continue our efforts to maintain the agreement,” Çavuşoğlu said during a news conference in Cairo.

Russia announced on Monday that it had accepted a 60-day extension of the agreement, which was mediated by the United Nations and Turkey.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the action a “goodwill gesture.”

But on Thursday, the UN emphasized that the deal states it would be extended for 120 days rather than 60. “The agreement is public, it’s an open document. It foresees a rollover of 120 days,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.

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