YEREVAN. – Armenia’s dairy and meat product exports to Russia have not suffered at all, head of the State Service for Food Safety of Armenia, Hovhannes Mkrtchyan, stated at a press conference on Saturday.

Mkrtchyan noted this commenting on Russia’s banning the imports of certain products of animal origin from Armenia, and due to the foot-and-mouth disease that was detected in Armenia.

He stressed that this ban applies solely to the live animals that are susceptible to this disease, their meat and genetic material, non-processed by-products as well as milk and dairy products which have not undergone thermal processing.

The Armenian official added that Armenia, as a conscientious member of the International Epizootic Bureau, was the one that informed—including its Eurasian Union partners—about the presence of the foot-and-mouth disease within its territory.

Hovhannes Mkrtchyan noted that measures have been taken to localize and eradicate the source of this disease, and once its absence in Armenia is confirmed, this ban should be lifted soon.

The foot-and-mouth disease in Armenia was recorded in December 2015, in an Armavir Province village bordering Turkey.