MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin could speak with Turkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan at short notice if needed regarding the extension of the Ukraine Black Sea grain deal, the Kremlin said on Thursday, as talks on the matter continue in Istanbul.
Russia has said it will not extend the pact beyond May 18 unless a list of demands is met to remove obstacles to its own grain and fertilizer exports.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday he thought the deal, which allows for the safe export of grain and fertilizers from three Ukrainian ports, could be extended for at least two more months.
Asked to say whether Putin and Erdogan might discuss the issue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there were no such plans at present but added: “They call each other up very quickly when needed.”
He declined to comment on the state of the talks while they are still in progress.
The United Nations and Turkiye brokered the Black Sea export agreement last July to help tackle a global food crisis that has been worsened by Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkiye and the UN make up a Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, which implements the deal.
Putin could speak with Erdogan about Black Sea grain deal – Kremlin
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Putin could speak with Erdogan about Black Sea grain deal – Kremlin
- Russia has said it will not extend the pact beyond May 18 unless a list of demands is met to remove obstacles to its own grain and fertilizer exports
France tightens infant milk rules after recalls
PARIS: France has lowered the safety limit for cereulide toxin in infant formula, aiming to strengthen protections after several major groups ordered worldwide recalls over contamination concerns, the farm ministry said on Saturday.
Cereulide, which can cause nausea and vomiting, has been detected in ingredients from a factory in China supplying a large number of baby formula makers including Nestle, Danone and Lactalis, triggering recalls in dozens of countries and raising concerns among parents.
The new threshold will be of 0.014 micrograms of cereulide per kg of body mass, compared to 0.03 micrograms per kg currently, the ministry said in a statement.
France’s move follows a European Union meeting on January 28 and is in line with an updated guidance from the European Food Safety Authority that will be released on Monday, it said.
The lower threshold is likely to lead to further withdrawals in France in the coming days, it added.
The recalls illustrate how a single compromised ingredient can spread through the infant nutrition supply chain, despite tight regulation, and cause rapid market jitters.
French investigators said on January 23 they are looking into whether there is a link between the death of two infants and recalled formula products.
On Thursday, consumer group foodwatch said it had filed a criminal complaint in Paris on behalf of eight families whose babies it says fell ill after consuming contaminated infant formula, claiming companies waited too long to warn the public.
