Turkey's defense minister confirmed a few days ago that negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations have resulted in an agreement to form a coordination center to secure grain transport routes.

Quoted in a statement, Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar says an agreement will be signed this week when all sides meet again, adding that all sides have agreed to joint controls to check grain at their respective ports.
In the statement, the minister said that "a meeting was held between the military delegations of the Ministry of Defense of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine and the United Nations delegation, hosted by the Ministry of National Defense, in Kalender Kasrı."
"At the meeting which is an important step taken to contribute to the solution of the food crisis of grain and other foodstuffs, all details about the safe transfer of ships by sea were studied," he adds.

It also states that as a result of the meeting, "which took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere", "basic technical issues such as the creation of a coordination center in Istanbul where representatives of all parties would be present, joint controls at port exit and arrival points" were "agreed upon.

The objective will thus be, says the communiqué, "to guarantee the safety of navigation on the transfer routes.
It has now been agreed that the Ukrainian and Russian delegations are to meet again in Turkey this week. At this meeting, all details will be reviewed and an agreement will be signed.