AUSTRIA, July 3 - On 4 July 2022, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner continued their joint working trip with a visit to Turkey. In Ankara, the itinerary included meetings with their respective counterparts, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Süleyman Soylu. The main topics of their meetings were food security and illegal migration resulting from the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and the Turkish foreign minister discussed how “green corridors” could help to fight the worldwide food crisis.

“Green corridors” could be used to export grain and seeds from Ukraine by sea. Turkey plays a special role in this plan, as a mediator accepted by both warring parties. The approval of grain exports by Russia via the Black Sea would make an enormous contribution towards mitigating the steadily worsening worldwide food crisis.

We support any and all international efforts to resume the export of grain and seeds from Ukraine as quickly as possible. Turkey is at the centre of the process for creating green corridors out of Ukraine,

said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and his Turkish counterpart also discussed the issue of illegal migration. The worldwide food crisis sparked by the Russian war of aggression has also led to increased migration movements. Turkey is one of the EU’s most important partners in preventing illegal migration to Europe.

Recently, migration pressure at Europe’s external borders has massively increased. We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg in term of the economic and societal effects of Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. A storm is brewing in Northern Africa and the Near East, and its impact will be felt in Europe sooner or later. Thus, it is in our interest to work closely with Turkey in this area,

said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

In speaking with the Turkish foreign minister, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg also commended Turkey’s role in taking in refugees. Nearly four million asylum-seekers from Syria have found a temporary home in the country along the Bosporus. In light of this challenge, Austria and the EU have provided Turkey with financial aid since 2016.