Progress made at U.S.-Russian poultry talks
MOSCOW. March 1 (Interfax) - Progress has been made at U.S.-Russia consultations on the resumption of U.S. poultry imports to Russia, head of the Russian consumer watchdog agency Rospotrebnadzor Gennady Onishchenko told Interfax on Monday evening.
"The gap between us has narrowed even more. If everything goes this way, our meeting tomorrow will deliver concrete decisions," Onishchenko said.
U.S. and Russian experts met in Moscow on March 1 to start the second round of talks on the resumption of U.S. poultry supplies to Russia. The talks will continue on March 2.
On January 1, Russia introduced new rules banning the import of chlorine-treated poultry. Almost all poultry supplies from the U.S. are affected by the new ban.
Chlorine-treated poultry is detrimental for health, Russian doctors say, which has been banned in the European Union as well.
Russia is one of the biggest importers of U.S. poultry. In 2008, 823,267 tonnes of U.S. poultry was imported and 855,808 tonnes in 2007.