The export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, which has been resumed with the mediation of Turkey, is gaining momentum. A second ship with 33,000 tons of mail has arrived in Istanbul. Meanwhile, Turkish President Erdogan has announced new economic cooperation with Russia.
A ship carrying 33,000 tons of corn from Ukraine has arrived in Istanbul for inspection. This was announced by the Turkish Ministry of Defense on Twitter. It is the second grain carrier since Turkey brokered an international agreement on Ukrainian exports across the Black Sea. Two more ships are expected shortly.
Meanwhile, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed that Turkey will henceforth pay for Russian gas supplies in rubles and will also make greater use of the Russian payment system Mir. A new plan to strengthen economic cooperation will serve as a "source of power between Turkey and Russia in financial matters," Erdogan said on his return flight from the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi, according to the Anadolu Agency. There he met President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
The use of the Mir payment system will also make it easier for Russian tourists to stay in Turkey, Erdogan said. Turkey is a member of the western defense alliance NATO and at the same time a close partner of Russia, which has been waging a war of aggression against its neighbor Ukraine since the end of February. Ankara and Moscow have numerous strategic interests in common. At the same time, the countries support different sides in conflicts such as in Syria, Libya or Nagorno-Karabakh without taking direct action against each other.
