Russia seeks to send reexport inspectors to Belarus

Sergei Dankvert, head of Russia's Rosselkhoznadzor agency to ensure the safety of food imports, says Russia wants its experts to conduct 'sanitary checks at the external border of the Customs Union' or at the border of Belarus with Poland and Lithuania.

Radio Svaboda reports Rosselkhoznadzor has called on the counterparts in Belarus to control the movement of cargo at the border with Poland and Lithuania. Dankvert said the joint work would last for one-two months before Belarus introduces an electronic controls system dubbed Argus Fita. The system is designed to track the movement of fruit and vegetables on the territory of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Russia apparently seeks to strengthen controls over food imports as western suppliers increasingly try to get to the Russian market by avoding the Russian embargo via Belarus, said Sergei Dankvert.

Russia turns away 30 tons of potatoes, 20 tons of tomatoes from Belarus

Photo: Fotolia