Sputnik Africa is live as Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan hold a press conference in Sochi, Russia.
After the extended format of the talks concluded, the leaders continued the negotiations in the format of a working lunch.
One of the most anticipated topics of the talks was the future of the Black Sea Grain Deal.
Opening the meeting, Putin said that the leaders would not ignore the issues related to the Ukrainian crisis, and noted that Russia is open to negotiations on a grain deal. He also expressed hope that in the near future the countries will complete negotiations on the creation of a gas hub in Turkey in order to make the energy situation more stable.
In turn, Erdogan said that negotiations with Putin on the grain deal would become significant for the world and for African countries. He also spoke about "high cooperation" with Russia on gas and noted that the creation of a gas hub in Turkey is of great importance for the country.
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