MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. Russian authorities following a request from Turkey have suggested meeting in Moscow to discuss the situation with supplies of grain from Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told reporters on Saturday.
"We have received a letter from counterparts, where they suggested meeting up to discuss the topic," he said. "We have invited them to visit us. Now we are expecting a confirmation of the due date."
Russia continues the ongoing consultations with Turkey on trade of agricultural products, and disputes still remain, Dvorkovich said.
"Disputes still remain, the situation develops, we are in ongoing consultations with the Turkish counterparts, not everything is smooth, but still we are trying to come to common grounds," he said.
The deputy prime minister said if Turkey continues to hinder supplies of Russian goods, then, it may be so that Russia will have to undertake tit-for-tat measures.
"But I hope common sense will prevail," he added.
Turkey is Russia’s second-biggest grain importer in volume terms after Egypt.
On March 15, Turkey excluded Russia from the list of countries free of duties for imports of agricultural products starting March 15. Now, Russia and some other countries are not on the list of states with duty-free imports that can deliver commodities for further processing and export free of payment of the duty amounting to 130%. Previously Russian exporters and their Turkish customers imported grain meant for processing and further export with zero duty, while they still had to pay a 130% duty in order to sell products locally.