Russia Eases Foot-and-Mouth Embargo

Russia is easing its embargo on meat products, poultry, fish and dairy imports from 11 countries that was imposed to keep out food-and-mouth disease, the agriculture ministry said Monday.

But the ban on imports of meat and cattle will remain in force for Norway, Iceland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and the three Baltic countries, the ministry said.

Under the previous ban, imports of fish and fish products, poultry and poultry products, dairy products and meat-based products were prohibited.

The embargo was imposed two weeks ago to keep foot-and-mouth epidemic in Britain, which has also hit France, Ireland and the Netherlands, from reaching Russia.

The European Union had blasted the Russian ban as an over-reaction to the foot-and-mouth scare, noting that there was no need to ban imports from countries that had not been hit by the disease.






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