Albania’s prime minister praises Turkish president for his role in renewal of grain deal

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday welcomed the extension of the Black Sea grain deal and praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his role in its renewal.

“I welcome the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for another two months,'' Rama said on social media.

He described Erdogan's role as crucial and congratulated him.

''I reiterate my congratulations to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his decisive role. Ensuring an uninterrupted supply of vital grain to world markets is of critical importance to ensuring global food security,'' said Rama.

Erdogan announced Wednesday that the deal, which was set to expire on May 18, had been extended for two months.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine initially signed the agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports which were halted after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

The deal has been extended three times since it was first signed for 120 days. It was first extended in November last year and then in March.