Russia’s President Vladimir Putin thanked his Turkish counterpart on Friday for Ankara’s peace efforts in Ukraine, according to Anadolu Agency.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan played “a significant role” in organizing an exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kyiv and in the signing of the Ukraine grain deal, Putin said, speaking at a news conference in the Kazakh capital Astana, where the two leaders held a meeting on Thursday.

Erdogan played “a significant role in a number of issues, including exchanges (of war prisoners),” he said, adding that the Turkish president was “personally involved in these issues, for which we are grateful.”

“He was an active participant in reaching a deal on the export of grain (from Ukraine). This grain goes to the poorest countries or goes in a minimum amount. We discussed this during negotiations yesterday. He said it is necessary to structure flows so that they go to the poorest countries,” said Putin.

He also expressed Moscow’s appreciation for Ankara’s peace mediation amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, adding that the UAE also offered its help and worked to reconcile the two warring countries.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency