14 Jan 2010 16:24

U.S. partners not prepared to meet Russian poultry standards

SNEGIREVKA, Leningrad region. Jan 14 (Interfax) - U.S. trade partners are so far not prepared to observe Russian poultry standards, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a poultry farming conference on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, some of our partners, primarily those based in the United States, are so far not ready to meet Russian standards," he said.

"These standards are not something special or typical of Russia only. These are the standards accepted in the European Union. We have simply borrowed them," Putin sad.

Not long ago the U.S. poultry suppliers had an annual quota of 1.3 million tonnes. The quota has been cut to 600,000 tonnes, he said.

"We are ready to issue a quota of 600,000 tonnes to our American partners in 2010. That is the largest quota for all importers in Russia," Putin said.