The Black Sea grain deal, which was set to expire on May 18, was extended for another two months, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Wednesday.
"With the efforts of our country, the support of our Russian friends, and the contributions of our Ukrainian friends, it was decided to extend the Black Sea grain corridor agreement for another two months," Erdoğan said during his address to Justice and Development (AK) Party's provincial heads, deputies and mayors via video link.
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.
A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.
"We hope that we will see the days when the war between Russia and Ukraine will end, first with a permanent cease-fire and then with peace," Erdoğan said.
The president thanked his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for their efforts.
"In addition, our Russian friends stated that they will not prevent the exit of Turkish ships from Mykolaiv and Olvia ports. We are grateful to them for this," he added.
Russia confirmed on Wednesday that a deal to allow Ukraine to export its grain safely across the Black Sea, despite Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, had been extended for two months.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the deal had been extended to help countries in need, but added that Russia's overall assessment of the situation regarding the deal had not changed.
Russia had threatened to quit the arrangement, agreed last July with the help of the United Nations and Türkiye , this Thursday unless a list of conditions were met.
"The extension of the grain deal is for two months. Thus, there is a chance, not in words, but in deeds, to help ensure global food security. First of all, to help the most needy countries," Zakharova told reporters in a video briefing.
"Our fundamental assessments of the Istanbul agreements concluded on July 22, 2022, have not changed, and the distortions in their implementation must be corrected as quickly as possible."
Ukraine welcomes the extension of the Black Sea grain export deal but Russia must not be allowed to sabotage the agreement and must stop using food "as a weapon and blackmail," a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.
"We welcome the continuation of the Initiative, but emphasise that it must work effectively," Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook.
"We hope that our partners will make every effort to ensure that the grain deal starts to work fully for the world's food security, and that Russia will finally stop using food as a weapon and blackmail," he added.
The United Nations and Türkiye brokered the Black Sea deal for an initial 120 days in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been aggravated by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's leading grain exporters.
Ukrainian officials have said that since mid-April, Russia has "unreasonably restricted" the work of the deal. Russia has denied this.
Almost 70 vessels are currently waiting in Turkish waters for inspections.
