Russia, Turkey To Send More Grains To African Countries For Free

Turkey and Russia have reached an agreement to deliver grain sent under the Black Sea export deal free of charge to nations in need, particularly African countries, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan disclosed on Friday.

Erdogan said; “In my phone call with (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, he said, ‘Let’s send this grain to countries such as Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan for free’ – and we agreed.”

The comment came after Russia on Wednesday resumed its participation in the United Nations and Turkey-brokered grain agreement, ending four days of non-cooperation that still saw exports continue from Ukrainian ports.

Russia’s U-turn on the pact that allowed the shipment of vital Ukrainian grains that stalled after Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24 followed Erdoğan’s call with Putin on Tuesday.

Putin said even if Russia withdrew from the deal again, it would substitute the entire volume of grain destined for the “poorest countries” for free from its own stocks and noted that it would not impede shipments of grain from Ukraine to Turkey.

Putin also praised Turkey’s mediation efforts to get the deal back on track, as well as Erdoğan’s “neutrality in the conflict as a whole” and his efforts at “ensuring the interest of the poorest countries.”

The U.N. and Türkiye brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July to ensure Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia would receive grain and other food from the Black Sea region during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The 120-day deal pact is up for renewal on Nov. 19, three days after the G-20 summit concludes.