Minister: Germany, Russia should agree to open food markets

BERLIN, Feb 15 (PRIME) – Germany should negotiate opening of the food market with Russia to give a signal for improvement of cooperation, Food and Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt said in a news conference broadcast by the European Commission’s Web site Monday.

“We should gradually agree with Russia on opening the food market. I know that the general political situation is difficult, but this is exactly the time when the agriculture market needs a signal that we are not moving toward a freeze of relations, but toward sensible cooperation,” he said.

Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated to their worst since the Cold War in 2014 due to a military conflict in Ukraine. The West introduced sanctions against some Russian individuals and firms and further against the energy and banking sectors. In response, Russia prohibited food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

In mid-2015, the mutual sanctions were prolonged for one year.

End