UN aid chief traveling to Türkiye for grain deal talks as Russian deadline nears

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - UN aid chief Martin Grifftihs is traveling to Türkiye as a high-level meeting with Ankara, Russia, Ukraine and the UN is scheduled May 10 - 11 in Istanbul to discuss the Black Sea grain deal.

UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters Tuesday that Grifftihs left Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for Istanbul.

''We do expect some high-level meeting to happen this week,'' he said.

The Turkish National Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the UN will hold talks on the Black Sea grain deal in Istanbul on May 10-11 as the Russian deadline nears.

The deal is set to expire May 18.

Russia wants obstacles to exports of its fertilizer to be removed for it to agree to another extension of the grain deal which was signed in Istanbul last July among the four parties.

Meanwhile, inspections of vessels resumed Tuesday of outbound vessels, said Haq.

''There have been at least two inspections carried out so far today,'' he added.