Rosselkhoznadzor ready for constructive work with Georgian colleagues
MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax) - Russia's Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight Service, Rosselkhoznadzor, is prepared for constructive work with Georgian colleagues to fully restore farm produce and food trade.
"Today, we had a meeting with Georgian colleagues and we are ready for constructive cooperation," Rosselkhoznadzor Chief Sergei Dankvert told Interfax.
"Because we had no contact for a long time, we have to study the control systems in our countries and then decide on more concrete tasks - which products, from where and with what control procedures, can be supplied to Russia," Dankvert said.
Rosselkhoznadzor chief said that the Russian farm produce and food exports to Georgia amounted to $223.5 million in 2012 against $150 million in 2011. Russia exports grain, fish, milk and diary products, flour, cereals, etc. "We export even mineral water and 212,000 decaliters were sent in 2012," he said.
One of the first steps to establish closer cooperation between Russia and Georgia, could be Georgia's consideration to restore transit of Turkish goods, Dankvert said. This will relieve the Novorossiysk port, he said. It will be necessary to resolve the issue of establishing a modern laboratory in Russia's Verkhny Lars when implementing this plan, the Russian official said.