Russia ready for talks with Armenia over produce import restrictions

Russia is ready to hold constructive talks with Armenia over phytosanitary controls following problems identified in Armenian fruit and vegetable shipments, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said.

“Phytosanitary control requirements must be met. And, naturally, we are ready for such a constructive dialogue. However, unfortunately, we can see that there are certain problems on the Armenian side, and, accordingly, such a dialogue is taking place,” Overchuk said on Yunashev Live.

Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut previously raised the issue during a meeting with Armenia’s Minister of Economy, stressing that the concerns were not related to the quality of the produce but to the presence of pests and plant diseases.

Russia began imposing restrictions on imports of Armenian agricultural products at the end of May. The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) has since introduced restrictions on various categories of goods, citing violations of veterinary and phytosanitary requirements.

Overchuk said Moscow remained open to dialogue with Yerevan on resolving the issue.

By Sabina Mammadli