Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is in Turkey to discuss the future of the Ukrainian grain export agreement, which Ankara sponsored along with the Syria file. Lavrov is scheduled to meet his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, before holding a press conference later. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is running for re-election in May, will also receive Lavrov.

Russia and Turkey have been working together on several international issues, with Moscow stressing the need to coordinate positions with Ankara. Among the items on the agenda is the implementation of the Ukrainian grain agreement, which allows for the export of more than 25 million tonnes of grain. The agreement was brokered by Ankara and the United Nations in July 2022, and Turkey is pushing for the resumption of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in the hope of building on its diplomatic efforts, which began last year.

The agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports via a safe passage in the Black Sea was extended on March 19, despite the war. However, Moscow proposed a 60-day extension "in a goodwill gesture" instead of the originally agreed 120 days, insisting on respecting the other part of the agreement regarding the export of Russian fertilizers.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that "despite the complexity of the international situation, the Russian-Turkish political dialogue continues at various levels."