Russian presidents, Vladimir Putinand turkish, Recep Tayyip Erdoganagreed this Friday fully comply with the Ukrainian and Russian grain export agreement, and also that Ankara pay in rubles Russian gas supplies, which Western countries oppose. Both parties advocate “full compliance” with the Istanbul agreements so that Russia can export its grain and fertilizer “without obstacles,” says the joint statement issued after the negotiations between the two leaders and their delegations.
Putin and Erdogan recognize “the important role of constructive relations between the two countries in signing the initiative on the safe supply of grain from Ukrainian ports”. At the beginning of their meeting in the Sochi resort, Putin thanked Erdogan for his role in signing the agreement, which he considered “very important” in the context of the world food crisis .
The freighter Razoni, the first to set sail from Ukrainian territory, carried on Monday 26,500 tons of corn from Odessa to Lebanon crossing the Bosphorus Strait. According to the Turkish authorities, three other ships were due to leave on Friday from the Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chornomosk and Pvidenny.
“A new stage that opens new possibilities”
In turn, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexandr Novak, revealed that the Russian and Turkish leaders had agreed that Ankara start paying “partially” for gas in Russian currency. “We are gradually moving to payment in the national currency. Part of the supplies will be paid for in rubles. This is indeed a new stage that opens up new possibilities,” he explained.
He recalled that Russia annually supplies 26 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey. Putin commented that “European partners should be grateful to Turkey because it guarantees the smooth transit of our gas to the European market.”
“The Turkish Stream, unlike all other routes of our hydrocarbon supplies, works correctly, dynamically, without failures, it has become one of the main arteries supply of Russian gas to Europe,” he stressed. In their joint statement, Moscow and Ankara defended the territorial integrity of Syria, while they were willing to coordinate their efforts in the fight against terrorist organizations.
According to the Kremlin, the leaders intended deal with the situation in Syria, for which he has also traveled to Sochi Hakan Fidan, the head of the Turkish intelligence service. Erdogan wants to get Putin’s approval for a new Turkish military operation in northern Syria against the Kurdish militias, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which he has been announcing for weeks.