Russia and Türkiye agreed during talks in Ankara on Friday that obstacles must be lifted to ensure freer Russian fertilizer and grain exports, and enable a UN-brokered deal ensuring Black Sea shipments of Ukrainian grain to be extended beyond next month.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he and Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed "a failure" to implement the terms of the Black Sea grain deal.

Lavrov said that Russian grain and fertilizer exports were affected by a lack of access to insurance and to the SWIFT financial messaging system.

He also said Russia could work outside it if Western countries maintain what he said were obstacles to agricultural exports, which he said were getting tougher.

On July 22, 2022, Russia and Ukraine separately signed the deal in Istanbul with Türkiye and the United Nations on grain and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia to ensure supplies to global markets amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The deal, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for another 120 days to March 18.

Alongside Lavrov, Cavusoglu told a news conference that Türkiye was committed to extending the deal beyond mid-May.

"We attach importance to the continuation of the agreement not only for Russia and Ukraine's grain and fertilizer exports, but also for stopping the world food crisis," Cavusoglu said.

"We also agree that the obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizer should be removed. Issues need to be addressed for the grain deal to be extended further," he said.

Lavrov said the two top diplomats discussed the grain deal, a potential gas hub in Türkiye, the conflict in Syria, and Ukraine.

(With input from agencies)