Russia-Iran food-trade relations not to be revised after lifting of anti-Iranian sanctions - Russian veterinary watchdog

MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Russia will not revise its relations with Iran related to food supplies after the European Union and the United States have lifted their anti-Iranian sanctions, since these relations are developing in line with the existing agreements, Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said on Sunday. "We stick to the agreements reached during Rosselkhoznadzor chief Sergei Dankvet’s visit to Iran before the New Year holidays," Rosselklhoznadzor’s spokeswoman Yulia Melano told TASS. Thus, in December 2015, Russia and Iran agreed on exports of poultry and milk to Russia. It is planned to begin poultry exports from Iran to Russia after January 20 and exports of milk - from February 15. Apart from that, Russian companies, in particular a Miratorg subsidiary, is expected to begin exports of meat products to Iran. "Currently, the Russian side is waiting for Iran to grant the right to supply animal products to a number of Russian companies that were visited by Iranian experts last year," she said. Iranian experts are expected to conduct the final stage of inspection in Russia’s Bryansk and Belgorod regions on January 18-24. Following these inspections, the Iranian side will take a decision on possible imports of beef and poultry from Russia, Rosselkhoznadzor said earlier. Melano also said that Rosselkhoznadzor’s deputy head, Yevgeny Nepoklonov, had been appointed a member of a Russian delegation that was to visit Teheran on January 19 to discuss issues of trade between the two countries. The delegation is led by Russian Minister of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev. Apart from that, the Russian-Iranian working group is scheduled to have its first meeting in February, she said. In November 2015, Rosselkhoznadzor entered 25 Iranian companies into its register of importers of agricultural products. Russia companies, in turn, are willing to export wheat, barley, corn, vegetable oil, rapeseed and oilseed meals to Iran. Along with efforts to expand trade in dairy and animal products, Russia and Iran are setting up companies to develop and commercialize biotechnologies. Read more