French President Emmanuel Macron, in a conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, highlighted the need to respect the sovereign choice of Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

According to the Elysee Palace, the sides discussed the conflict in Ukraine in the spirit of coordination to achieve a ceasefire and return to respect for international humanitarian law.

In particular, the parties discussed the need to make it possible to export Ukrainian cereals, on which the food security of many countries depends. They discussed various possible routes for transporting crops outside of Ukraine, identified jointly with the UN, and agreed to stay in touch to quickly find a solution. Macron will continue contacts on this issue with relevant international actors in the coming days, the report says.

Macron and Erdogan discussed the applications of Finland and Sweden for membership in NATO. The French President noted the importance of respecting the sovereign choice of these two countries, arising from the democratic process and intervention in response to the evolution of their security environment. He hopes that discussions will continue to find a quick solution.

The leaders of the two countries also expressed concern about the deteriorating situation in Libya.