Russia outlined the list of countries expected to supply food products to replace those prohibited in retaliatory sanctions imposed by Moscow. This was stated by the head of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, Nikolay Fedorov, live on the “Rossiya 1” TV channel.
“Prospective vegetable and fruit suppliers include Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, to some extent . Türkiye, Iran, and Serbia are next. Some very promising countries – Iran, Morocco, and Egypt – need our products, particularly grain and vegetable oil, and we need their vegetables, fruit, berries, and citrus fruits,” Interfax cites Fedorov.
The head of the Ministry of Agriculture stated that Latin American countries have already expressed their desire to add to food supplies. As for Norwegian fish, its absence can be compensated for by Russian producers, according to Fedorov. “We have great potential for domestic fish production, we only need to agree with retail chains to redirect export flows toward domestic consumption,” he explained.
Fedorov also expressed his certainty that the imposed ban will not lead to food shortages or an increase in food prices. According to him, problems would only arise with “very expensive Italian and French cheeses, oysters, and mussels” which are not critical for the country .
Translated by Mariya Shcherbinina, edited by Elizabeth Martin
