OREANDA-NEWS.  November 21, 2014. Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselhoznadzor) is ready to negotiate with Moldova in order to lift restrictions on delivery of fresh fruit and meat.

In this context, it is needed to be set up a system for preventing illegal penetration of EU products on the Russian market, the assistant of the head of the Russian Department Alexey Alekseenko told the RIA Novosti News Agency.

The trade relations with Russia worsened after, by late 2013, Moscow has imposed an embargo on the import of Moldovan alcoholic beverages, and in 2014, it banned the import of vegetables, fruits and canned food. In the first nine months, the exports from Moldova to Russia decreased by nearly 30 per cent, and its share in total dropped to 19.8 per cent.

The Russian News Agency told that the restrictions had been imposed as a result of signing and ratifying by Moldova of the Association Agreement with the EU and the Free Trade Agreement.
Agriculture and Food Minister Vasile Bumacov said he was ready any time to visit Moscow to prove “how correct we are and fears for EU products entering the Russian market through Moldova are groundless”.

Alekseenko said he was aware that Moldova was ready to negotiate. The two countries are permanently consulting on it. In the near future, the talks will be held, it is only a technical matter, being settled by the embassies of the two states, he said.