The United States has expressed its appreciation for the efforts Turkiye has been exerting to enable Ukrainian agricultural products to reach global markets through the Black Sea.
The issue was raised during a phone conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu late June 25, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Turkish ministry said the two men discussed the bilateral relations, the NATO expansion and the grain export from Ukraine.
“Thank you to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu for the productive call today. The U.S. is committed to close coordination on support to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression and calls for NATO unity in the lead up to the Madrid summit,” Blinken said on Twitter.
Ned Price, the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, in a separate statement underlined that Blinken and Çavuşoğlu discussed the importance of NATO unity in the lead up to the June 29-30 NATO Summit in Madrid.
“They also discussed ongoing support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s continued aggression. The Secretary expressed appreciation for the Foreign Minister’s diplomatic efforts to enable Ukrainian agricultural exports to reach global markets,” Price stated.
Turkiye has long been actively trying to create an implementable plan with the U.N. for enabling Ukraine to export its millions of tons of grain and other products through a safe passage from the Black Sea to world markets. This export is of vital importance to avoid a major food crisis in the world, mostly in undeveloped nations as they depend on imported grains. Ukraine is one of the largest grain producers in the world.
The plan seeks to establish a command and control center in Istanbul following talks between the officials from Turkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the U.N.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has recently informed that there is a general consensus among relevant parties for establishing an operation center in Istanbul and opening a corridor that will enable Ukrainian grain to reach global markets.
Turkiye has assumed the role of facilitator, he said, adding,“Turkiye is currently doing its part in this regard. The parties have a serious trust in our country. We are trying to use this trust in the most sensitive way without any stain, and the parties are aware of this.”