Progress was made in talks in Istanbul on the Black Sea grain deal by the deputy defense ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Ukraine as well as U.N. officials, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The parties agreed to continue four-way technical meetings on the deal, which is set to expire on May 18, the ministry said in a statement.

The United Nations and Türkiye brokered the Black Sea export agreement last July to help tackle a global food crisis that has been exacerbated by Moscow's war in Ukraine. It allows the safe export of grains and fertilizers from three Ukrainian ports.

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

The deputy ministers and U.N. officials held two days of talks on the deal in Istanbul on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said he thought the Black Sea grain deal could be extended for at least two more months.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could speak on short notice if needed regarding the extension of the deal, adding that there were no such plans at present.

The significant grain deal signed last summer aimed to restore the export of grains from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which had been halted since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

The suspension of exports had intensified global food insecurity, making the deal a critical step towards alleviating the crisis.

To facilitate the agreement's smooth implementation, a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) was established in Istanbul. The center serves as the hub for overseeing and coordinating shipments, with officials from the three nations and the United Nations working together to ensure the smooth and efficient transport of goods.

This collaborative approach to addressing global challenges highlights the importance of international cooperation and emphasizes the need for continued efforts toward achieving peace and stability.