Russian officials aggrieved by Belarusian state-run mass-media and talks

Russia takes time out in talks with Belarus on milk products deliveries.

It has been stated by the head of the Russian Agency for Health and Consumer Rights, chief sanitary officer of Russia Gennady Onishchenko to RIA Novosti.

“Public comments of civil servants of Belarus which have been received by us in the press of this country, and comments of official mass media, “Sovetskaya Belorussiya” for instance, afforded ground for doubt that agreements with Minsk delegation which is in Moscow now, coincide with the position of Belarusian officials. In order not to waste our and their time, we are taking a time-out to clarify our positions, and depending on the results and their (Belarusians’) explanations, we are to decide whether to continue this work or not,” Onishchenko said.

He couldn’t specify the possible term of resumption of talks.

“I cannot say for how long this time out will last,” Onishchenko said.

The head of the Russian Agency for Health and Consumer Rights believers the Belarusian side is to blame for the milk conflict.

“All this confusion, I think, has happened because of Belarusian agencies’ officials, and first of all due to the State Standard organisation of Belarus, which is in charge of this sphere: to read the law attentively and to offer an algorithm to its manufacturers,” said Gennady Onishchenko in an interview to the Russian TV Channel “Vesti” on June 15. “Concrete manufacturers are to pay for this confusion. They are paying by their money, and not the state or the officials who had messed up everything”.

According to Onishchenko’s knowledge, Belarusian manufacturers were aware of the new standards. “But all of us are descendants of the Soviet past. And certainly they listen to their leaders in Belarus. That is why we had a talk with my counterpart, and I said: those why pay, read documents more carefully and take all the requirements more carefully. Actually it would be not so difficult to take these goods to accredited laboratories, carry out research, get approval documents in the prescribed order and do business unperturbedly,” the head of the Russian Agency for Health and Consumer Rights said.

As said by him, Finnish who bring in lots of milk to Russia too, and citizens of the Baltic states, received all the documents in line with the new technical regulations. “And our Belarusian brothers decided for some reason that they could continue to live according to the old logics, that laws are one thing, and the life is a different thing. No, it is one thing, and they should remember that, as the next new regulations are to concern meat; new technical regulations on juice have come into force. And if this would continue, who would be to blame for that?” Onishchenko said.

He noted that the Federal Law of June 13, 2008 “Technical regulations on milk and dairy products” all sanitary and hygiene requirements to milk products are enumerated. “It is a conceptually new level of work in Russia. It is a difficult and enormous work. A year ago the document was published, and came into force on December 19, 2008, it was in effect for half a year, and now, after half a year we are saying: how can you do that, start executing the Russian law. But it causes such a heated reaction, please excuse me,” The Russian official said.