Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova says the ban on agricultural products from Azerbaijan is not politicized.
“There is no political subtext. Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) regularly bans imports of agricultural products from different countries. This is a standard phytosanitary procedure that is aimed at preventing the spread of quarantine objects in the territories of Russia and member states of the Eurasian Economic Union that may cause significant harm to agriculture and pose risks for food safety,” Zakharova’s statement posted on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads.
The diplomat stated that Russia had raised the issue on the ban on imports of apples and tomatoes from Azerbaijan a long time ago since Rosselkhoznadzor had detected the South American tomato moth in Azerbaijan’s tomatoes several times. According to her, Russia has permitted five Azerbaijani companies to export their goods.
