Turkey expects response from Russia and Ukraine on Black Sea security project

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed that the country sent Russia and Ukraine a draft memorandum on the cessation of strikes on ships in the Black Sea. Now Ankara is waiting for a response on the initiative from Moscow and Kiev, the minister said in an interview with NTV.

“We have sent a proposal to both parties and are awaiting a response. The first priority is the transit of grain through the Black Sea. “Unlike energy, grain is a product that both countries export,” Fidan said. The minister added that achieving a "sustainable result" is now difficult.

On September 17, AFP, citing sources, wrote that Ankara sent Moscow and Kiev a draft document on the cessation of strikes on ships in the Black Sea. According to him, the basis of the proposal is the experience of the “grain corridor”. According to the initiative, the safe route can pass along the eastern and southern coasts of the Black Sea, including through the territorial waters of Turkey. The Russian Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report, but pointed to a "systemic dialogue" with Turkey on maritime security issues.