Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Monday that Moscow was open to negotiations on a Black Sea grain deal, Reuters reported.

Russia pulled out of the deal in July – a year after negotiations between the UN and Turkey – arguing that its own food and fertilizer exports face obstacles and that not enough Ukrainian grain reaches countries that need it.

Erdogan, who previously played an important role in persuading Putin to stick to the deal, as well as the UN, is trying to convince Putin to return to the deal.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin told Erdogan he hoped to conclude talks on a gas hub in Turkey and said they would also discuss a grain deal.

“I know that you intend to raise the issue of the grain agreement,” Putin told Erdogan. “We are open to negotiations on this issue,” he added.

Erdogan said that the world is waiting for news on the issue of the grain corridor.

“Everyone is waiting for what will come out of our meeting today. “I think the message from the press conference after the meeting will be an important step for the whole world, especially for African countries,” he said.

The deal was aimed at transporting Ukrainian grain to world markets via the Black Sea and easing the global food crisis, which the UN says has been exacerbated by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine are two of the world’s leading agricultural producers and major players in the wheat, barley, corn, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets.

On the eve of talks with Erdogan, Ukrainian officials said that Russia carried out an airstrike at night on one of Ukraine’s main ports for grain exports on the Danube. Romania denied Ukraine’s statement that Russian drones fell and exploded on the territory of Romania.