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UST-BYUR, June 26. /TASS/. Russia is not yet ready to ban import of European wine or confectionary because it will adversely affect domestic consumers, Minister of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev said commenting on the proposal to prohibit wine import from Europe.
"We are primarily based on interests of consumers and if, so to say, ‘close’ wine, confectionery or something else, this may severely affect the balance of foods in our country," the minister said.
"We do not produce as much wine as to fully meet demands of the domestic consumer," Tkachev said. This pertains to certain other kinds of products, the minister added.
TASS reported earlier the Russian Government extended counter-sanctions against EU countries, the US, Canada, Australia and Norway through August 5, 2016, according to the government resolution.
The Russian government excludes young mussels, spat and young trout from the food embargo list. Additionally the Russian Government toughened requirements for lactose-free production in the framework of the food embargo. Now these products can be imported to Russia only if they are certified as medical and preventive production.
The rest of the list subject to counter-sanctions remained unchanged. It includes beef, chicken, pork, dairy products, live, chilled and frozen fish and shellfish, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Biologically active dietary supplements, sports, children's and preventive nutrition, salmon spawn, potatoes seed, planting onion, sugar beet and peas for planting are excluded from the list.