Regarding whether food can be transported to poor countries, Putin will meet with Erdogan

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye began to meet, according to Russia Channel 24.

Putin said that this is Erdogan's first visit to Russia after he was re elected President of Türkiye, and he once again congratulated him on this. The development momentum of Russia Turkey relations is good, and significant achievements have been made in cooperation in areas such as energy and agriculture. The co construction projects of Akyu Nuclear Power Plant and Natural Gas Hub are progressing smoothly.

Putin pointed out that today he will exchange views with Erdogan on international and regional hot topics such as the situation in Ukraine, the agreement on the export of agricultural products from Black Sea ports, and the situation in Syria, as well as bilateral relations agendas.

Erdogan gave a positive evaluation of the current development status of Turkey Russia relations. He said that the world is paying attention to the food agreement, and he and Putin will "convey the necessary information to the world" in the talks, which is particularly important for African countries.

Erdogan stated that the bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Russia is moving towards the goal of 100 billion US dollars. The central bank governors of Turkey and Russia will hold talks to discuss specific steps for settlement in their own currency. Erdogan positively evaluated the progress of the Akyu nuclear power plant project, stating that the establishment of a natural gas hub will enrich Russia Turkey relations.

Previously reported:

Putin's meeting with Erdogan concerns whether food can be transported to poor countries

According to Turkish media reports, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the southern Russian city of Sochi on the 4th. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that the two sides would discuss topics such as bilateral relations, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the agreement on the export of agricultural products from Black Sea ports.

On April 3, 2018, President Erdogan of Türkiye talked with President Putin of Russia in Ankara, Türkiye. Shen Jizhong

Analysts have pointed out that after Russia suspended the implementation of the Black Sea port agricultural product export agreement in July, the international community's concerns about the food crisis have intensified, so there is widespread concern about the prospects of the agreement's recovery. And what impact can this meeting bring to Russia's food exports?

Russia emphasizes the premise of returning to the agreement

On July 22, 2022, Russia and Ukraine signed relevant agreements with Türkiye and the United Nations on the export of agricultural products from Black Sea ports in Istanbul, Türkiye. The agreement is valid for 120 days. The agreement was extended multiple times in November last year, March and May this year, and expired on July 17th. The Russian side informed Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations on July 17 that it would not renew the agreement.

On August 3, 2022, the first grain carrier "Lazoni" from Odessa Port in Ukraine passed through the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul, Türkiye. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Shada Ti

According to the Russian side, there are three main reasons why Russia has stopped implementing the agreement.

One reason is that the humanitarian nature of the agreement has not been fully guaranteed. The Russian side stated that during the implementation of the agreement, a total of 32.8 million tons of agricultural products were shipped, of which more than 70% were sent to high-income and high-middle income countries, including EU countries, while the poorest countries received less than 3%.

The second reason is that the content related to the export of Russian agricultural products in the agreement was not well executed due to Western sanctions. The Russian side stated that since July last year, the West has issued a series of sanctions on Russian agricultural exports, resulting in Russia being blocked in payment, insurance, logistics, and overseas assets.

The third reason is that the Russian side believes that the food agreement was used as a military disguise by the Ukrainian side. Russian Defense Minister Shoigu said at the Moscow International Security Conference in August that Ukraine is using the food agreement as a cover to establish a systematic supply of weapons and ammunition reserves at multiple Black Sea ports. In addition, drone and unmanned boat production is also carried out near the granary.

After suspending the agreement, Russia has repeatedly stated that the prerequisite for Russia's return to the agreement is that the West must fulfill its obligations in the export of Russian agricultural products.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov reiterated at the press conference after the talks with Foreign Minister Feidan of Türkiye at the end of August that once all the provisions of the memorandum signed between Russia and the United Nations concerning the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers are implemented, Russia will return to the food agreement and implement the part of the food package agreement involving Ukrainian agricultural products.

On September 1st, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu pointed out during a meeting with Fidan that Moscow has made every effort to maintain the existence of the food agreement, and the suspension of the food agreement is not the responsibility of the Russian side. He emphasized that if all commitments made by relevant parties to Russia are fulfilled, the agreement will be extended.

Or is there an alternative solution?

Some observers in Russia believe that the premise for Russia's clear proposal to return to the agreement includes the lifting of sanctions by the West. In this regard, the United Nations and Türkiye have a limited role to play.

Maxim Maximov, Associate Professor at the Plekhanov University of Economics in Russia, believes that Turkey will strive to promote the restoration of the food agreement. However, due to limited political and negotiation resources and the clear stance of the Russian side, Turkey may not have the ability to ensure that Russia's demands are met. However, it is not ruled out that Turkey may expand the supply of Russian natural gas to Europe through the "Türkiye Stream" in exchange for the opportunity to resume the food agreement.

On July 22, 2022, Russia and Ukraine signed agreements with Türkiye and the United Nations on the export of agricultural products from Black Sea ports. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Shada Ti

Garina Sorokina, a professor in the Teaching and Research Section of World Economy and International Economic Relations at the Russian State Administration University, believes that even if the conditions set out by Russia for the resumption of the food agreement cannot be fully met, Turkey may also provide some alternative solutions, such as exporting agricultural products of the same volume from the ports of Russia and Ukraine, opening parallel imports for Russia in some commodity fields, and resuming the use of Russia's national payment system in Türkiye.

In addition, according to the report of Tass News Agency on August 31, Lavrov revealed after the talks with Fidan in Moscow that the two sides discussed the issue of supplying 1 million tons of Russian grain at preferential prices for Türkiye enterprises to process and transport to the countries most in need. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously pointed out that Russia believes this is the best alternative to the Black Sea Food Agreement. A source from Türkiye Food Association said that Türkiye's producers are ready to implement Lavrov's above initiatives.

Recent positive developments

Recently, Turkey has been working hard to restore the food agreement, while Russia is also providing food to African countries.

On July 27th, Russian President Putin, together with leaders from multiple African countries, attended the Second Russia Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum, stating that Russia is prepared to provide 25000 to 50000 tons of food free of charge to African countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Eritrea, "ensuring that these products are delivered to consumers for free.". He criticized Western countries for obstructing Russia's supply of food to African countries.

On July 29, 2023, Russian President Putin attended a press conference after the Second Russia Africa Summit in St. Petersburg. Xinhua News Agency/TASS News Agency

On the same day, the rotating Chairman of the African Union and President of Comoros, Azali Asumani, called on all parties to provide convenience for the transportation of food from Russia and Ukraine to African countries.

Kerim Hass, an independent political analyst of Türkiye, said in an email interview with Xinhua News Agency that Türkiye's food and food prices have been rising due to the continuous rise of global food prices. For a long time, Türkiye has been an important customer of Ukrainian wheat. After the food agreement is reached, Türkiye can buy wheat from Ukraine at a lower discount price, and can collect transit fees for grain ships passing through the Türkiye Strait.

According to Türkiye media reports, Türkiye imports wheat from Ukraine to meet its own needs, but also to conduct deep processing for export. Tu is an important global exporter of flour and producer of Italian pasta.

Batu Joshkun, an independent political analyst of Türkiye, said in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency that Türkiye hopes to use the Black Sea Agreement, which is likely to resume implementation, as a vane for future Russian Ukrainian peace talks. In addition, Turkey hopes to provide food to the world's poorest countries through diplomatic efforts to enhance its reputation in the world.