Moscow - Russia and Ukraine are not in a trade war over food products, said Sergei Dankvert, chief of Russia's veterinary and phytosanitary oversight service Rosselkhoznadzor.
“The Ukrainian press abounds in claims that our two countries are in a trade war. Please, calm down, there is no trade war over food products between our countries. It’s oversight in action,” Dankvert told Interfax.
Rosselkhoznadzor curbed imports of Ukrainian animal products on many occasions over disregard for Russian veterinary standards.
“It’s a normal practice. Ukraine, too, curbed individual products imported from Russia in the past,” he said.
The Russian and Ukrainian veterinary services have established a constructive dialogue, he said.
“So, let us not create problems where there are none,” Dankvert said.
He said Rosselkhoznadzor also established constructive relations with the Belarusian veterinary service.
After Russia joined the World Trade Organization and liberalized imports, Rosselkhoznadzor tightened control over imported products, he said.
“The monitoring is effective and guarantees Russia’s food and epizootic security,” he added.
