DUSHANBE, February 12, 2010, Asia-Plus — The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Dushanbe issued press release today, in which it denies report released by some Tajik media in early February about delivery of spoiled flour from Russia to Tajikistan in a form of humanitarian aid as “baseless.”
In connection with publication by some Tajik media of report about delivery of 68,000 tons of rotten flour from Russian to Tajikistan in a form of humanitarian aid, the Embassy considers it necessary to draw attention to some facts, press release said.
By Russian government’s order a humanitarian operation on delivery of wheat flour to Tajikistan was carried out in August-October 2009. Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry checked quantity and quality of the outbound cargo. Appropriate certificates of quality and phytosanitary certificates were given and the railroad cars were sealed that guaranteed safety of the cargo during transportation.
According to press release, representatives from the State Material Reserves Agency under the Government of Tajikistan accepted the cargo on November 13, 2009 and an appropriate document was signed. The quantitative and qualitative parameters of the wheat were also controlled by representatives from Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and no defects were found. Lack of complaints was also confirmed in a letter sent by A. Rahimov, head of department of the State Material Reserves Agency, to the Russian Ministry of Emergencies on February 5, 20010.
In the meantime, a number of Tajik media released report on February 4 that it is allegedly banned to use a bulk of wheat flour delivered from Russia in a form of humanitarian aid. The report said that Tojikstandart (Tajik state agency for standardization, metrology, certification and trade inspection) had allegedly banned use of 67,678 ton of wheat flour that was delivered to the country from Russia last summer in a form of humanitarian aid. The media reported that according to Tojikstandart, the Russian flour was kept in the warehouse of the State Material Reserves Agency. Examination conducted by Tojikstandart specialists allegedly established that the flour does not meet standard requirements and is not fit for use, and therefore, it will be fed to livestock.
