Turkey to continue contacts with parties to grain deal to extend it by 120 days - defense minister

BRUSSELS. March 15 (Interfax) - Turkey will continue negotiations with the parties to the Black Sea Grain Initiative to extend it by 120 rather than only by 60 days, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.

Turkey started the negotiations considering the original version of the deal, noting that the agreement's duration is important, and that Turkey will continue contacts to extend it by 120 days rather than by only two months, Western media quoted Akar as saying in a statement.

The parties are expected to assess the situation and make a decision on the deal's extension, he said.

On Monday, Geneva hosted consultations on the grain deal attended by a Russian interagency delegation, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Martin Griffiths, and UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. Following the consultations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said Russia did not object to extending the grain deal, but only by 60 days.

The UN said it took note of Russia's position.