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Negotiations on safety of navigation in Black Sea continue — source

The talks are being held within the framework of a letter sent earlier by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine

ISTANBUL, April 16. /TASS/. Negotiations on the issue of concluding an agreement on ensuring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea are continuing, a diplomatic source in Turkey told TASS.

Commenting on reports that Ukraine allegedly refused to sign such a document after two months of negotiations involving Russia and Turkey, the source said: "The talks, as far as we know, are being held within the framework of a letter sent earlier by UN Secretary General [Antonio Guterres] to the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine on the issue of ensuring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea." He added that the leading role in this process has been assigned to the UN, with Turkey acting as a mediator.

Earlier, Reuters said that Turkey had been negotiating with Ukraine and Russia for two months on an agreement to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, but Kiev abandoned it at the last moment.

According to the news agency, the parties were pushed into negotiations by the UN, with Ankara acting as a mediator. Ukraine had agreed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would announce the agreement on March 30, but refused at the last moment, Reuters said. The reasons for the decision are not known.

Erdogan said in late February that contacts with the UN were continuing to work out new regulations for shipping in the Black Sea. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin pointed out that the initiative was not related to the grain deal, which had expired in July 2023.

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