The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine (Archive photo: AFP/VNA)

The two leaders agreed to discuss these issues in detail when they meet in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit next Thursday and Friday.

In July, Russia and Ukraine signed a separate agreement to resume the exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea thanks to the mediation efforts of Turkey and the United Nations.

Under the deal, a staff team of Turkey, Ukraine and UN would monitor grain loading operations at three designated Ukrainian ports - Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The cargo ship then sailed to the Bosphorus under the close supervision of the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul involving representatives from the four parties to the agreement. The JCC would inspect cargo ships destined for Ukraine to receive grain to ensure they were not carrying weapons or other items that could be used to attack Ukraine.

As of August 31, about 1.55 million tons of grain and other food had been exported from Ukraine under the agreement.