Putin, Erdogan may discuss navigation security measures in Black Sea - senior diplomat

Measures to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea will be among the topics Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye will discuss during their future talks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said on July 21.

"Any meeting, either in Türkiye or in Russia, has a very large and serious agenda. And I am sure that the issues you have raised will also be on the agenda. I don’t think it would be right to make any predictions," he told a briefing when asked about the agenda of Putin’s would-be visit to Türkiye.

According to the senior diplomat, the countries have "very advanced and good relations," as well as shared interests. He noted that Russia and Türkiye are neighboring countries who have a long history of relations and understand the situation in the region. "The range of our cooperation with Türkiye, both political and economic, is vast," he stressed.

He recalled that while the Black Sea Initiative was in force a joint coordination committee was working in Istanbul. "We know about it and value it. It was also an important element of our bilateral efforts," Vershinin said.

The grain deal expired on July 17. On July 19, Russia’s defense ministry said that starting at midnight on July 20 Moscow will consider all vessels sailing to Ukrainian ports across the Black Sea as shipping military cargoes and the flag states of such vessels will be deemed as parties to the Ukrainian conflict on the side of Kiev. Apart from that, the ministry said that a number of areas in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the Black Sea had been declared as temporarily dangerous for navigation.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Alexey Danilov said that following the grain deal’s termination, his country may propose to other countries and the UN that vessels hauling Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea be escorted by warships for protection. Ukrainian Ambassador to Türkiye Vasily Bondar said earlier that food could be exported from Ukrainian ports through Romania and Bulgaria’s territorial waters.