OSCE chief praises Turkiye efforts to finalise grain export deal

Secretary-General of the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE), Helga Maria Schmid, yesterday praised Turkiye’s mediation efforts that led to signing the grain export deal with the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine, Anadolu news agency reported.

“I’m heartened by the success of Turkish diplomacy, together with the United Nations. This is so crucial for Ukraine, whose agricultural sector is vital to the economy and people’s livelihoods, but also for the rest of the world which depends on the output,” Schmid said at the 13th Ambassadors Conference in Ankara.

Schmid also praised Turkiye’s efforts to evacuate international observers from Ukraine during the war, and said the Turkish diplomatic staff “are one of the most professional in the world”.

She stressed that dialogue and mediation are among the most important pillars of diplomacy, and that the OSCE adheres to these values.

Commenting on the war in Ukraine, Schmid believed that  Russia “did not give dialogue a chance.”

On 22 July, Turkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations signed the “Black Sea Grain Initiative” during a meeting hosted by Istanbul. The agreement guarantees grain exports stranded in Ukrainian ports in an effort to improve global supplies.

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