Minister: Russia not ready to purchase Turkish tomatoes

Baku. 7 August. REPORT.AZ/ "Russia is not ready to buy Turkish tomatoes and will not do it".

Report informs citing the Lenta.ru, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said. 

"We have seriously signaled local business to supply Russian market with tomatoes and many other vegetable products in general. Of course, public funds have also been spent on it. Return of Turkish tomatoes to market will not be good for domestic producers. We, of course, are not only ready for it, not allow it”, Tkachev said.

Notably, on July 25, Deputy Prime Minister Arkadi Dvorkovich said that Moscow and Ankara will continue negotiations on the supply of Turkish tomatoes to the Russian market within the framework of the Izmir exhibition to be held on August 18.

After tension between Turkey and Russia in 2015, Russia has imposed sanctions on its ally. This year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered withdrawal of several sanctions except for importing Turkish tomatoes.