Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday he thought the Ukraine Black Sea grain deal could be extended for at least two more months, as officials from the parties involved held the first day of talks on an extension in Istanbul.

Cavusoglu was speaking to reporters on his return from a trip to Moscow.

He said the grain deal was among the issues he discussed with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during the visit and that he hoped a positive result could be achieved in Istanbul, where talks were set to continue on Thursday.

"I think we can get a result to extend it for at least two more months," Cavusoglu said.

The UN and Türkiye brokered the Black Sea export agreement last July to help tackle a global food crisis that has been worsened by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

The deal was extended twice: one is in November 2022 with 120 days extension, and the other is in March 2023 when Russia announced the extension for 60 days until May 18.

Russia has said it would not extend the pact beyond May 18 unless a list of demands is met to remove obstacles to its own grain and fertilizer exports.

Antara earlier said that Moscow's demands are absolutely legitimate and should be fulfilled.

Days ago, Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said Ukraine has alternative ways of transporting grain if a deal on safe Black Sea exports is not extended on May 18, and would not see that outcome as an "apocalyptic scenario." 

The United Nations said on Monday that so far nearly 30 million metric tonnes of grain and foodstuffs had been exported from Ukraine under the Black Sea deal, including nearly 600,000 metric tonnes of grain in World Food Program vessels for aid operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Yemen.

(With input from agencies)