Russia Revokes Import Ban On Fishery Products From Indonesia

Jakarta, Sept 18 (Antara) - The Russian government, on September 17, revoked the import ban on Indonesian fishery products applied since July 2013, Director General of Fishery Products` Marketing from the Marine and Fishery Ministry Saut Hutagalung stated on Thursday. In July 2013, the Russian government banned the import of fishery products from Indonesia on grounds of failing to meet the guidelines set by the local government such as anti-radioactive and bacteria tests on fishery products. "We have received a letter from the Russian government on September 17 saying that they have revoked the import ban. We soon expect to see normalization of fishery exports from Indonesia to Russia," remarked Saut. He explained that the decision to revoke the import ban was taken by the Russian government after holding several meetings with representatives from Indonesia`s Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, Trade Ministry, Marine and Fisheries Ministry, and the Embassy of Indonesia in Moscow. The Russian government had also received a recommendation from its inspection team. Saut called on Indonesian exporters to maintain the quality of their products, which must be at par with the requirements announced by the Russian government. He also pointed to the fact that the Russian government has, since August 2014, banned import on fishery products from several countries such as the United States, the European Union, Canada, Norway, and Australia. "This is a good opportunity for Indonesian entrepreneurs to further market their products in Russia," Saut added.