Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) initiated the meeting with the Swiss Embassy. Maxim Gninenko, Deputy Head of Directorate for Phytosanitary Surveillance, Seed Control and Grain Quality, stated that after the introduction of Russian food ban from the EU, USA and some other countries, export from Switzerland to Russia has doubled on average, as for apples, export of apples has increased by 400%. In this regard, Rosselkhoznadzor suspects that not all of the products imported from Switzerland are of Swiss origins; and it is necessary to find out the real origins of the exported products.
Rosselkhoznadzor sent inquiries to the Swiss authorities regarding the volumes of certain types of vegetables and fruits produced in the country, as well as to confirm the authenticity of the phytosanitary certificates. Rosselhoznadzor would get this information within ten days after the negotiations, avoiding the introduction of protective restrictive measures at the moment.
In turn, the counselor of the Swiss Embassy expressed readiness to assist in the inquiries. He stressed that Switzerland is proud of its neutrality and is ready to maintain its business relationships with Russia.