You're reading: Onishchenko: Ukraine to blame for its cheese still being barred from Russian market

MOSCOW - The fact that Ukrainian cheese is still barred from the Russia market is Ukraine's fault, Gennady Onishchenko, Russia's chief epidemiologist and head of the Rospotrebnadzor consumer rights protection watchdog, has told Interfax.

"Up to now, the Ukrainian side has failed to meet the terms on which Russia would agree to lift the ban. We have not received laboratory tests yet," he said.

The statement followed Rospotrebnadzor’s inspection of Dubnomoloko, one of Ukrainian top dairy companies.

A team of Rospotrebnadzor experts returned to Moscow from Kyiv on April 26.

"Our complaints are the same – violations of production technology," Onishchenko said.

"We gave our recommendations on how to remove them. As for the resumption of Ukrainian supplies, this will be done in line with the existing agreements," he added.

On April 17, Onishchenko held talks with Ukrainian Economic Development and Trade Minister Petro Poroshenko. The sides agreed to lift the cheese embargo for three Ukrainian producers. Onishchenko told reporters after the meeting that Ukrainian cheese would return to Russian markets if there were no complaints on Russia’s part.

On February 27, he told Interfax that Ukraine had cut cheese imports to Russia by more than a half after failing to meet food quality requirements.