ISTANBUL, July 22 – RIA Novosti. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Istanbul to participate in the signing of documents on lifting restrictions on the supply of Russian products for export and facilitating the export of Ukrainian grain, RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

The Russian Defense Ministry also told the agency that a bilateral meeting is planned between Shoigu and his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar.

Last week, talks were held in Istanbul between the delegations of Russia, Turkey and Ukraine and the UN delegation on the solution of the grain problem. Russia prepared and submitted a proposal package. Later at the meeting, it was reported that an agreement was reached on the establishment of a coordination center in Istanbul and an algorithm for grain transportation was agreed, which is planned to be formalized later in a specific document.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that according to the estimates of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Ukraine can export about 5 million tons of wheat, which is only one percent of world grain production. At the same time, according to Putin, Russia will export 37 million tons of wheat in the 2021-2022 agricultural year and will increase this figure to 50 million in 2022-2023. Later, the president said that Russia is ready to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain, but all bans on the export of Russian grain should be lifted.

Russia did not interfere with the export of grain from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, but this was impossible, since Ukrainian troops mined the coast.