Rosselkhoznadzor finds re-export of banned products via Belarus

Russia may impose restrictions on supplies of products from Belarus.

The statement was made by Sergei Dankvert, the head of Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia's veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog. He said about attempts of re-exporting banned vegetables and fruit via Belarus, ITAR-TASS reports.

“Some EU countries began to send products to Belarus without specifying the real country of origin. They write, for example, Macedonia, but we figured out it was Poland and Greece, because the Macedonian origin was not confirmed,” Dankvert said.

Rosselkhoznadzor says the agency found several lots of apples, peaches, plums and tomatoes delivered to Russia via Belarus, where the country of origin either was not specified or was listed as Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia or African countries, in particular, Zimbabwe. It was revealed that vegetables and fruit were delivered from Poland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Lithuania and other EU countries.

“We will impose restrictions on supplies from Belarus if we discover quarantined objects,” Dankvert said.

Rosselkhoznadzor plans to control the re-export of dairy products, meat and fish via Switzerland, Kazakhstan and the Faroe Islands, the agency's head added.