TEHRAN, July 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian leader Vladimir Putin praised his talks with the presidents of Iran and Turkey, speaking after a three-way summit on the Syrian conflict overshadowed by Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine.
Putin said the Syria summit in Tehran had been “truly useful and rather substantial”, describing the atmosphere as “business-like and constructive”.
He said the three leaders adopted a joint declaration, pledging to strengthen cooperation in the interests of the “normalisation” of the situation in Syria.
The Kremlin chief also praised his bilateral meetings with Iran’s ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said he and Erdogan discussed the export of Ukrainian and Russian grain as well as food security, but he provided no further details.
At the start of talks earlier in the day Putin praised the Turkish leader for mediating talks on the export of grain from Ukraine, saying there had been some progress.
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine has hampered shipments from one of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat and other grain, sparking fears of global food shortages.
Putin, who travelled abroad for only the second time since ordering the offensive in Ukraine on Feb 24, said the West must remove restrictions on exports of Russian grain.
“We will facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain, but we are proceeding from the fact that all restrictions related to air deliveries for the export of Russian grain will be lifted,” Putin told reporters.
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine has hampered shipments from one of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat and other grain, sparking fears of global food shortages.
“As you know, Americans have lifted — essentially lifted — restrictions on the supply of Russian fertilizers to the world markets,” Putin said.
“If they sincerely want to improve the situation on the international food markets, I hope the same will happen with the supply of Russian grain for export.”
Cereal prices in Africa, the world’s poorest continent, have surged because of the slump in exports from Ukraine, sharpening the impact of conflict and climate change and sparking fears of social unrest.
The United Nations has said Africa faces an “unprecedented” crisis caused by the conflict. — NNN-AGENCIES
