Russia questions Armenian Economy Ministry's competence

Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) has expressed doubts about the competence of Armenia’s Ministry of Economy, stating that the agency is not effectively performing the functions transferred to it after the abolition of the country’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2019, according to TASS.

The Russian authority recalled that following the reform, Armenia’s Ministry of Economy became responsible for agricultural policy, including agro-processing, livestock farming, veterinary services, crop production, pesticide and agrochemical use, organic agriculture, agricultural cooperatives, and fisheries.

“Considering that Russia is the main market for Armenian agricultural products and that recently the products supplied from Armenia do not comply with the phytosanitary requirements of the EAEU and Russia, it can be concluded that the Ministry of Economy of Armenia is not coping with the responsibilities assigned to it after the abolition of the Ministry of Agriculture,” the agency said.

Earlier, Russia imposed temporary restrictions on the import of flowers from Armenia starting May 22, 2026, citing the detection of quarantine organisms. From May 30, 2026, restrictions were also introduced on imports of certain vegetables, berries, and greens, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries.

By jeyhun Aghazada