Armenian official says Russian restrictions on imports are temporary

The head of Armenia's Food Safety Inspection Body, Tigran Petrosyan, said Russian restrictions on Armenian products are temporary and should not be described as sanctions.

Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan, he noted that using the term “sanctions” was inaccurate, as these were restrictive measures rather than sanctions, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“And restrictions are a temporary problem. There is a problem, and there is a solution," Petrosyan added.

Addressing violations identified by the Russian side in Armenian Jermuk mineral water and fish products, Petrosyan stated that Armenia's inspection authority had conducted its own laboratory tests and found no irregularities, adding that the Russian side had been informed of the findings.

"As for other agricultural products — strawberries, apricots, tomatoes and so on — the apricots were not exported in time. Regarding tomatoes, we say that they are vaccinated, and laboratory tests reveal antibodies to this quarantine virus. As for strawberries and other products, yes, thrips were detected during inspections, including those carried out by the Russian side. At that time, they were found at one of the six or seven farms that were inspected," he acknowledged.

Russia previously restricted imports of a wide range of Armenian products, including mineral water, alcoholic beverages, vegetables and fruit, citing detected violations.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov