The evacuation of Turkish-flagged ships and grain shipments from Black Sea ports as part of the deal will be discussed, Akar said.

Ankara is working to extend the deal that will expire on May 18. Friday's meeting would be technical and would be followed by a meeting of deputy ministers next week, Akar said in a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry. "We continue our efforts to ensure that the grain initiative continues in a fast, safe and planned manner. We had the impression from the discussions that these efforts will produce positive results," Akar said.

The United Nations and Turkey brokered what was described as a package in July last year — the safe resumption of Ukraine's grain exports in the Black Sea and a U.N. commitment to help Russian grain and fertilizer shipments.

Russia has a list of demands it wants to meet for the continuation of the Black Sea pact, which the United Nations has said will help address a global food crisis aggravated by Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Source: Agrolink