Peruvian businesses are enthusiastic about the emerging opportunities to expand trade with Russia, Russia’s charge d’affairs, Vladimir Belinsky, has told ITAR-TASS in an interview.
“Peru’s businessmen are prepared to considerably step up food supplies to the Russian market,” he said.
“One of the greatest news of the day in Peru is the new window of opportunities for exporters in South America, including Peru, that may let them considerably expand presence on the Russian market.”
“The country has on offer practically the entire line of products Russia is eager to import, such as fish, meat and fruit, as well as olive oil and coffee. The two latter items are in great demand. Seafood is Peru’s special treat. There is a wide range of this group of products as well,” Belinsky said.
“The fundamental aspects of trade in food will be on the agenda at the forthcoming meeting of the bilateral inter-governmental commission, which is due to meet in session in Moscow on September 16-17,” the diplomat said. “Together with Peruvian government officials a large delegation of businessmen under the auspices of the Peruvian Association of Exporters (ADEX) will go to Russia for participating in the food exhibition World Food Moscow.
“I believe that the main contacts will be held within the framework of that meeting in September,” Belinsky said.
“Russian embassy officials have just been invited to Peru’s Foreign Ministry for a detailed discussion of the new prospects and opportunities. The meeting is due on Monday,” the diplomat said. “We are hoping to have a meaningful discussion with our colleagues over how to best tap the existing potential to the maximum extent.”
Earlier, Russia’s federal veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor) held talks with Peruvian officials. The negotiations resulted in the lifting of restrictions that had been earlier imposed on supplies from eighteen Peruvian fish processing enterprises.
On Thursday, August 7, in response to the sanctions the West had introduced against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine Moscow declared it was suspending the import of beef, pork, vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish, cheeses, milk and dairy products from the European Union, Australia, Canada, Norway and the United States. According to ITAR-TASS estimates based on the Federal Customs Service’s 2013 statistics, the value of the twelve-month-long import ban is 9.1 billion dollars. The European Union countries – the providers of 6.5 billion dollars worth of foods from the sanctioned list to the Russian market – will be the hardest-hit. The restricted import from other countries is far smaller – 1.2 billion dollars from Norway (not a EU member), 843.8 million dollars from the United States, 373.6 million dollars from Canada, and 182 million dollars from Australia.