clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Russia: Ban on Egyptian imports is not revenge

September 21, 2016 at 9:40 am

A Russian ban on imported Egyptian fruit and vegetables which comes into force tomorrow is not in retaliation for Cairo’s decision to restrict Russian wheat imports, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said yesterday.

TASS news agency reported Dvorkovich saying the procedures which Russia will put in place will continue until Egypt sets measures to ensure the safety of its produce.

The Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance said on Friday that Moscow will temporarily suspend imports of fruit and vegetables from Egypt as of 22 September. The announcement came following Egypt’s announcement that it was rejecting a shipment of 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat due to Alarjot fungus.

The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation announced last Sunday the formation a high level committee aiming to negotiate the issue of imposing temporarily restrictions on the country’s agricultural exports.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry announced on Saturday that it will dispatch a technical delegation to Russia to discuss the issue at the end of the month.