Turkish, British top diplomats discuss Ukraine, grain deal over phone

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish and British top diplomats held a telephone conversation Tuesday where they discussed the latest developments concerning the Russian war against Ukraine, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

Mevlut Cavusoglu and James Cleverly also discussed relations and the deal on grain exports from Ukraine.

Cleverly later tweeted that he thanked Cavuoglu for "his work on the Black Sea Grain Initiative to tackle food insecurity posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine."

"Türkiye is a close partner and ally and we’ll continue to work together on shared global challenges," he added.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which paused after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February.

The parties are currently negotiating a possible extension and expansion beyond a Nov. 19 deadline to include Russian grain and fertilizer exports.