Russian President Vladimir Putin said his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had proposed reviving contacts on Black Sea shipping but that he had not yet had time to study the documents, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

Putin told Russian state television that Erdogan had "once again renewed these proposals to continue contacts related to shipping in the Black Sea, (and) on some other issues."

Putin met Erdogan at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"To be honest, I haven't even had time to read the materials that our Turkish partners and friends have given us," Putin said. "Well, let's see. We have never refused this."

Türkiye and the United Nations helped mediate the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal struck in July 2022 that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukraine grain.

Russia withdrew from the agreement in July 2023, complaining that its own food and fertiliser exports faced serious obstacles.