Russia says Armenian import ban could have come much earlier

Russia's Federal Agency for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) could have introduced restrictions on a range of food imports from Armenia much earlier, the agency's head, Sergei Dankvert, said in an interview with Russian media at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

According to Dankvert, Russian authorities deliberately delayed imposing the measures in an effort to identify and address the underlying causes of the violations.

"The restrictions we have introduced now could have been imposed long ago. We simply tried not to formalize this work and instead wanted to identify the causes of these violations. We delayed the introduction of restrictions for as long as we could," he said.

Dankvert also criticized what he described as a lack of engagement from Armenia's Ministry of Economy, stating that the ministry had not contacted Rosselkhoznadzor throughout the process.

"They believe this is a problem for their food safety service, but it is wrong to shift responsibility onto them. If a ministry does not fulfill its functions, it is impossible to ensure the safety of supplied products, and problems will always be found," he said.

The Rosselkhoznadzor chief added that the Russian side had repeatedly communicated its concerns and recommendations to Armenian authorities.

"We have already sent them dozens of letters. We told them what needed to be done. This initiative of mine may seem like nagging. And, as in relations with women, we would not like to be intrusive. We said it once: if the answer is no, then it's no," Dankvert said.

The comments come amid a series of restrictions imposed by Russia on agricultural imports from Armenia.

On May 15, Rosselkhoznadzor announced plans to inspect several Armenian enterprises whose exports to Russia had previously been suspended. A week later, on May 22, restrictions were imposed on the import of flowers from Armenia.

The measures expanded further on May 30, when the Russian regulator introduced temporary restrictions on imports of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, leafy greens and strawberries originating from and shipped from Armenia.

Beginning June 2, Russia also restricted imports of stone fruits, including cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines and grapes.

Additional temporary restrictions took effect on June 3, covering pome fruits such as apples and pears, as well as eggplants, potatoes and dried fruits.

The measures were expanded on May 30 to include fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, leafy greens and strawberries originating from and shipped from Armenia.

Beginning June 2, Russia also restricted imports of stone fruits, including cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines and grapes. A day later, temporary restrictions were extended to pome fruits such as apples and pears, as well as eggplants, potatoes and dried fruits.

By Vafa Guliyeva