Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke over the phone on Monday, and they discussed initiatives aimed at resolving the ongoing crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, said the Turkish Presidency in a statement.

Erdogan said that Turkey maintains joint efforts to ensure the export of Ukrainian grains via Black Sea, which would be "effective in terms of averting a global food crisis."

Tonnes of Ukrainian grains remain blocked due to the conflict, causing global shortages and price hikes.