BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his efforts that enabled the export of Ukrainian grain to the rest of the world.

“Türkiye played a constructive and important role in ensuring that Ukrainian grain can be exported despite the ongoing fighting,” Scholz said during a joint news conference with Erdogan in Berlin.

“I would like to thank the Turkish president for his personal commitment to this matter. It’s disappointing that Moscow doesn’t want the continuation of this agreement any longer,” he said.

The Black Sea grain deal was brokered by the UN and Türkiye in 2022 to ensure safe passage of Ukraine's agricultural exports from its southern Black Sea ports.

The deal enabled the shipment of 33 million tons of grain products to world markets, averting a global food crisis.

But earlier this year, Russia refused to extend the agreement, complaining that the West has not met its obligations, and that there were still restrictions on its own food and fertilizer exports.