DUSHANBE, August 11, 2014, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan is ready to increase fruit-and-vegetable exports to the Russian Federation against the background of sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union against Russia, Zayniddin Muminov, the head of the CIS Department within the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“We export our products to Central Asia’s countries and some other near abroad nations,” said Muminov. “But now we will cater to Russia’s market. Russia is our strategic partner and we are ready to expand our economic cooperation with it.”
According to him, they will conduct negotiations with Russian companies. “Tajikistan is now able to export cherries, apricots, apples, grapes, and melons as well as cabbages and greens to the Russian Federation,” Muminov said, noting that increase in fruit-and-vegetable exports to Russia may lead to increase in fruit and vegetable prices in domestic market.
“In this connection, relevant ministries and agencies will regulate fruit and vegetable prices at local bazaars,” Tajik official noted.
Over the first six months of this year, Tajik has reportedly exported 50 million U.S. dollars worth of fruits and vegetables to the Russian Federation, which was 6 million U.S. dollars more than in the same period last year.
We will recall that Russia has decided to ban most European Union and U.S. food imports in retaliation for Western sanctions over Moscow”s role in Ukraine. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on August 7 announced the one-year ban on all meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables from the United States, the EU”s 28 member states, non-EU member Norway – a major exporter of salmon – Canada and Australia.
According to Reuters, Russia has become the world”s biggest consumer of EU fruit and vegetables by far, the second biggest buyer of U.S. poultry and a major global consumer of fish, meat and dairy products, so the ban opens up big opportunities for other countries.
Russia”s Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) reportedly said on August 8 that it was holding meetings with food importers to discuss supplies from the new markets.
Meanwhile, European experts are expected to meet in Brussels on August 14 to debate Moscow’s one-year embargo on food exports from countries that sanctioned Russia.
