Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Thursday that the grain deal signed in Istanbul in July would be extended for 120 days.

“Following the decision made by the UN, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine, the agreement on the Black Sea corridor will be extended from November 19, 2022 for 120 days,” the Turkish leader wrote on Twitter.

Erdogan thanked UN chief Antonio Guterres, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky for their efforts to extend the initiative. “My congratulations to all those who contributed to this process,” he said.

According to Erdogan, over 11 million metric tons of agricultural products have been exported via the maritime humanitarian corridor since the launch of the initiative. “The implementation of the agreement showed how important and useful it is for the provision of global food security,” the Turkish president emphasized.

Also, Russia and the UN signed a memorandum under which the international organization is committed to removing restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets.

Source: Agencies