We were lucky to avoid being shown a “red card” by Russia, as it could easily have happened, Serbian Minister of Trade and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic has said after arriving in Belgrade from Moscow, where a problem of allegedly defective meat products for export to Russian markets has been settled with the Russian side.
“An investigation into the entire case is still underway,” Ljajic told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) on Wednesday, adding that the oversights related to the export of meat from Serbia to Russia could be dealt with on a daily basis and that there was no systemic failure.
Presenting his opinion, which is still to be confirmed by the investigation, Ljajic said that the issue we were dealing with had to do with “negligence and stupidity of one of our exporters,” rather than “intent to deceive somebody.”
“Of course, we confirmed that the mistake had been made, and no matter what the intension was, consequences are serious and could have been even worse,” the minister said, pointing out that the Russian side had expressed “absolute understanding.”
For now, we have been shown a “yellow card,” although we deserved a red one, said Ljajic, stressing that controls in pork trade between Serbia and Russia would be much stricter in the future.
Ljajic said electronic communication would be established with the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance and Russian experts would come to Serbia to conduct training and controls and provide guidance for exports.
We have translated from Russian about 4,500 pages of new regulations, declarations, and guidelines with export requirements by the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ljajic said, adding that “the rules will have to be strictly respected.”
Ljajic said that the Russian officials he had talked to had reminded him that “we enjoy excellent reputation” and that Serbia was the only European country with a license for export of pork Russia at the moment reports Tanjug.
Source Balkans
