Rosselkhoznadzor not going to ban apple imports from Serbia - Dankvert
MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax) - Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor does not see any reason to block apple imports from Serbia, Rosselkhoznadzor chief Sergei Dankvert said.
"We are in a dialogue with Serbia, and I think we'll manage without any extreme measures," he said.
It is important that there be countries with which Rosselkhoznadzor can maintain a dialogue, Dankvert said. "This goes for Serbia as well. If it's possible to resolve issues through a dialogue, then there's no point in blocking shipments," he added.
Problems arose when Rosselkhoznadzor noticed a sharp increase in apple shipments from Serbia, which might have been because of apples being re-exported from EU countries that are under Russia's food embargo.
Because of this, the Russian watchdog has asked to hold consultations with the authorized Serbian authorities. In addition, Rosselkhoznadzor has requested information on apple production in Serbia and re-exports by third-party countries. Talks are ongoing.