January 19 2006, 18:14 APK-Inform

Russia banned animal products imports from Ukraine. Ukraine's minister believes it a political move

On January 18 press-service of Russia's state department for veterinary and phyto-sanitary control (Rosselkhoznadzor) issued a statement about introduction of temporary restrictions for supplies of any kinds of animal-origin products from Ukraine to Russian Federation since January 20 this year. Agriculture ministry of Russia has explained that these measures were directed exclusively for guaranteeing safety for consumers of these products and for protection of agricultural animals while claiming that supplies from Ukraine had been posing threats to such safety and endangering the animals.

Commenting on the ban, Ukraine's agriculture minister Olexandr Baranivsky said to a news conference on Wednesday that ban would produce no negative effect on the economy of Ukraine, as Ukraine exported just minor amounts of meat to Russia.

"Last year we did not virtually sell any meat to Russia, and it's not that we are about to do that in the future - until the deficit of meat in Ukraine disappears", the minister said.

He also said that this decision was not going to affect the work of the dairy industry.

He believes that this decision of Russia is rather politically-inspired than caused by any economical or safety reasons.