ANKARA

Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine, and the UN will hold talks on the Black Sea grain deal in Istanbul on May 10-11, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, as well as the development of a detailed and safe evacuation plan for the return of merchant ships and their crews stranded in Ukrainian ports due to conflict conditions, will be discussed during the talks, the ministry said in a statement.

The deal is set to expire on May 18.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were halted after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​