Delegations from the two countries will meet in Trkiye to discuss security in the Black Sea, the outlet has claimed

Russian and Ukrainian representatives will hold direct talks in Ankara next week, CNN Turk has reported, citing sources in the Turkish Defense Ministry.

Delegations from the two countries will meet to discuss security in the Black Sea, the outlet said in an article on Sunday.

The meetings will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Turkish Naval Forces headquarters in Ankara, according to sources.

During talks between Russian and US experts in Riyadh in late March, it was agreed to move towards reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which according to the Kremlin, should include the removal of Western restrictions against the Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial institutions involved in the international sale of food and fertilizers. A maritime ceasefire is seen by Moscow and Washington as a step towards the diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine conflict.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, originally brokered in July 2022 by the UN and Türkiye, envisioned the safe passage of Ukrainian agricultural products in exchange for the US and EU lifting its restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Moscow withdrew from the deal a year later, citing the West's failure to uphold its obligations.

(RT.com)