Military delegations from Russia and Ukraine have made enough progress in talks on resolving their dispute over blocked grain exports to hold new talks in Turkey next week, the Turkish defense minister said.
Hulusi Akar said in a statement on July 13 after the talks that they agreed on "joint controls" at ports and on ways to "ensure the safety of the transfer routes" across the Black Sea.
After the meeting next week in Turkey, "all the details will be reviewed once again and the work we have done will be signed," Akar said.
The Russian and Ukrainian military delegations held the meeting in Istanbul in an attempt to break an impasse over grain exports that has helped send global food prices soaring.
Turkish military officials and UN envoys also took part in the meeting on July 13, which is aimed at finding a way to get millions of tons of grain sitting in silos in Ukraine shipped out of the country's ports.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the meeting -- the first face-to-face between the two sides since March -- was an "important and substantive step" toward a comprehensive deal to resume exports of Ukraine grain through Black Sea ports.
"Next week, hopefully, we'll be able to have a final agreement. But, as I said, we still need a lot of goodwill and commitments by all parties," he told reporters in New York.
While the outcome demonstrates that Ukraine and Russia can hold talks, "for peace we still have a long way to go."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy acknowledged "some progress" in the negotiations.
"We are indeed making significant efforts to restore the supply of food to the world market. And I am grateful to the United Nations and Turkey for their respective efforts," he said in a video address.
He added that success was necessary not just for Ukraine but the whole world.
A Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson said Moscow had presented a package of proposals for a "speedy, practical resolution of this issue" during the meeting, the Interfax news agency reported.
The first day of the planned four-day meeting came with the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its seizure of ports on the Black Sea that were previously used to export Ukrainian wheat.
The meeting came with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in its fifth month and with the seizure of its ports on the Black Sea raising worries about hunger among people in Africa and the Middle East.
Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat and other grains such as barley and maize and sunflower seeds. Kyiv has estimated that up to 25 million tons of grain are currently blocked in its ports.
The negotiators hope for a solution that would empty the silos in time for upcoming harvest in Ukraine. Some grain currently is being transported through Europe by rail, road, and river, but the amount is small compared with what could be exported through sea routes.
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Russia's Grain Blockade Costing Ukrainian Farmers Serious 'Bread'
Many in Ukraine and the West have accused Moscow of attempting to export grain it has stolen from Ukrainian farmers in regions under its control.
Diplomats have said a plan being discussed includes having Ukrainian vessels guiding grain ships in and out through port waters that its forces have mined to prevent a feared amphibious assault by Russian forces.
The plan would also entail Russia agreeing to a truce while shipments move and Turkey -- with UN assistance -- would inspect ships to allay Russian fears of weapons smuggling.
SEE ALSO: Why Resuming Ukrainian Grain Shipments Won’t Be EasyDespite being a member of NATO, Ankara has maintained good relations with the Kremlin.
Turkey said it has 20 merchant ships waiting in the Black Sea region that could be quickly loaded with grain and moved on to world markets.