HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Tuesday welcomed an agreement between the US and Ukraine to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, emphasizing that discussions are ongoing.

"We've seen the announcements, which are obviously welcome," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference.

Dujarric noted that the issue of freedom of navigation in the Black Sea is a matter that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Rebeca Grynspan, the secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, "have been working on since almost the start of the conflict."

Dujarric confirmed that discussions are continuing and reported that Grynspan is currently in Türkiye.

When asked whether Türkiye could be involved in the talks, he said, "I don't think we want to get ahead of ourselves."

"Obviously, anything having to do with the Black Sea -- Türkiye, by its geographic location, would have to play a critical part," he added.

Türkiye first hosted a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in March 2022.

Those efforts led to the landmark Black Sea grain deal in 2022, but Moscow did not extend the agreement after July 2023, citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.