October 14, 2009

Lithuania will resume exports of milk and dairy products to Russia in the coming days.

According to head of the State Food and Veterinary Service of Lithuania Kazimieras Lukauskas, ten largest Lithuanian milk processing companies will be permitted to export products to Russia.

Lukauskas added that the permission will also be given for those companies which until now were in the Russian "black list", due to restrictions implemented by the Russian authorities several months ago.

He also denied the reports that since October Lithuanian milk processors are banned to supply its products to Russia.

In his recent visit to Moscow, Minister of Agriculture of Lithuania Kazys Starkyavichyus said Russia will not close its market for Lithuania dairy products and that they will maintain the current volume of exports.

In August 17 this year, the Russian government decided to introduce temporary restrictions on imports of dairy products from Lithuania. Four Lithuanian milk processing companies were banned from exporting milk, sour cream, curd and butter to Russia because, says Rosselkhoznadzor, their products contained the prohibited antibiotic, tetracycline.

However, experts believe that Russia was trying to protect the domestic producers, and to solve political problems with the Baltic States.