Moscow - President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi on Monday, as confirmed by Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The meeting comes at a significant juncture, one week prior to Turkey and the United Nations' efforts to revive a Ukraine grain export deal, which played a crucial role in alleviating a global food crisis.

Peskov stated on Friday, "It is true that the talks will be held on Monday. They will be in Sochi in the middle of the day."

The discussions aim to address the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a pact that facilitated the shipment of grain and essential supplies to famine-threatened regions in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The initiative faced uncertainty for several weeks, with questions arising about the timing and location of the impending meeting between the two presidents. The uncertainty was ultimately resolved in July when Russia abruptly withdrew from the agreement.

Russia and Ukraine play pivotal roles as global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other agricultural products vital for developing nations.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, mediated by Turkey and the UN in July 2022, allowed Ukraine to resume food exports from three of its Black Sea ports during the conflict with Russia. Vessels transported goods to and from Ukraine while Turkey managed ship and cargo inspections. During the agreement's duration, approximately 33,000 tonnes of grain were shipped from Ukraine.

The UN attributes the world food crisis, which the Black Sea grain agreement aimed to address, to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, referred to by Russia as a "special military operation."