Russia's Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev noted that Russia is not ready to import tomatoes from Turkey and does not plan to take such a step either.
In an interview with the Russian Rossiya 24 channel, Tkachev said Russia has invested heavily in Russian agriculture in recent years.
Pointing out that there has been a considerable amount of spending on tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables from government resources, Minister Tkachev said, "Now we cannot turn our back on the domestic producers. For this reason, we are not ready to import tomatoes from Turkey and we do not plan to take such a step either."
Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich previously told Russia's official TASS news agency that tomato imports to Russia would be consulted with Turkish officials within the scope of the Izmir International Fair on Aug. 18. "In my opinion, the nearest consultations will be during the Izmir fair on Aug. 18. We have a delegation and colleagues who are going to discuss this topic there," he said.
On June 2, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree lifting the ban on some agricultural produce and Turkish companies involved in construction, engineering and tourism in the aftermath of the downing of a Russian fighter jet in 2015.
