PM orders Russian govt to mull prolonging food import ban till ‘18

GORKI, Moscow Region, May 27 (PRIME) -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the government to prepare proposals for prolongation of a prohibition to import food from the E.U., the U.S. and some other countries, which earlier introduced sanctions against Russia, until the end of 2017, he said Friday.

“I have ordered preparation of proposals for prolongation of the retaliatory measures until the end of 2017 rather than for one year. A petition to the president and a ruling of the government stipulating necessary decisions will be made accordingly,” Medvedev said.

In 2014, relations between Russia and the West deteriorated to their worse since the Cold War 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 limited food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

Earlier on Friday, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said that G7 countries have agreed with a necessity to prolong the anti-Russian sanctions in June. The sanctions can be scaled up further if needed, the G7 said in a statement after a summit in Japan.

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