A meeting for an extension of the Black Sea grain deal between Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine, and the UN has begun in Istanbul, Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.

"The meeting of the deputy defence ministers of Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine and UN officials in Istanbul started today," Akara announced at an event in the central Kayseri province on Wednesday.

"We are continuing our negotiations to ensure that this work does not come to a halt and that stability is maintained," Akar said.

He added that so far, 30 million tons of grain were transported to those in need under the deal, which is set to expire on May 18.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were halted after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February 2022.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.​​​​​​​