Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says ready to host Putin in August

Istanbul, July 15 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan he is ready to host his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Ankara next month for talks on several issues.

"We are preparing to host Putin in August," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

According to Erdogan, one of the key issues expected on the agenda of the two leaders' talks is whether the Black Sea Grain Initiative will be prolonged, reports Xinhua news agency.

The deal, brokered by Turkey and the UN that allows Ukraine to export grain and other agricultural products from its Black Sea ports, will expire on July 17.

Erdogan had called for extending the deal last week, stressing that poor African countries in particular are in desperate need of grain shipments from Ukraine.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched in July 2022 to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.