Erdogan To Raise Issue of Grain Supplies at G20

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will raise the issue of grain supply to needy countries at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Indonesia, Turkish Agriculture Minister Vahit Kirisci said on Saturday.

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"Least developed countries must have the opportunity to obtain grain. In this context, our president will raise this issue on the agenda of the G20 summit," Kirisci was quoted as saying by Yeni Safak newspaper.

According to the minister, Ankara is now working on a new project, which aims to "deliver free of charge to underdeveloped countries the wheat purchased from Russia after processing."

Last July 22, Russia, Turkey and the UN signed an agreement to unblock the export of grain and fertilizers from Ukraine amid hostilities. The document is valid until November 19.

Ukrainian government representatives signed a similar document with Ankara and UN representatives.

In addition, Moscow signed a memorandum with the UN to facilitate the export of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products to international markets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting earlier on the Black Sea Grain Initiative, regretted that the bulk of these supplies were destined for the European Union rather than poorer nations.