Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov will visit Turkey on Tuesday to discuss the status of a deal that allows the safe wartime export of grain from several Ukrainian Black Sea ports, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.
Kubrakov will meet Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in the central Turkish city of Kayseri, a ministry statement said.
The Turkish and U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain export deal was renewed for 60 days last month, but Russia has been signaling it may not agree to extend it further unless the West removes obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizer, which are part of a related deal.
Ukraine said on Monday the grain accord was in danger of "shutdown" after Russia blocked inspections of participating ships in Turkish waters.
Ukrainian Black Sea ports were blockaded after Russia's invasion last year, but access to three of them was cleared last July under a deal engineered by the United Nations and Turkey.
Kubrakov will visit at the invitation of Akar, the ministry statement said, adding that the ministers will discuss several bilateral issues including the Black Sea grain initiative, AA reports.
