Russia lifts further trade sanctions against Turkey

ANKARA

AP photo

Russia on June 2 further relaxed trade sanctions placed on Turkey in the aftermath of the downing of a Russian fighter jet in 2015, as Anadolu Agency has reported. 

In a statement, the Russian government said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had signed a decree lifting the ban on some agricultural produce and Turkish companies involved in construction, engineering and tourism.      
The development is the latest in the lifting of sanctions imposed after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane that crossed into Turkish airspace from Syria in November 2015.      

The June 2 resolution removed frozen chicken and other poultry by-products as well as cucumbers, gherkins and fresh fruits from the list of blocked products, the Russian government said.  
    
It also lifted the ban on Turkish construction, design, engineering and tourism-related companies.
       
The decree did not mention restrictions on tomato imports from Turkey.      

During a May 3 visit to Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Vladimir Putin agreed to remove barriers, except for tomatoes.      

 Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said only two restrictions, visa-free travel for Turkish citizens and tomatoes, remained for Turkey, reported Russian state news agency TASS on June 2.  
     
“We will solve these issues within the framework of consultations with our Turkish counterparts on a reciprocal basis,” Dvorkovich was quoted as saying by TASS.        

He said consultations on the seasonal admission of Turkish tomatoes to the Russian market will continue during the summer.      
 
“I think they will be going on through the summer. We can reach an agreement, but I would not expect any very high volumes of supplies, they will be rather limited,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.      

In a bid to resolve a trade row with Russia, Turkey has proposed Moscow lifts its ban on imported Turkish tomatoes during periods when Russian growers are unable to produce their own.

“We understand Russia would like to develop its domestic (tomato) production but they are in a position to continue trading with Turkey while doing that,” a senior Turkish official with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on May 26.

Russia could discuss Turkey’s proposal to partially lift a ban on tomato supplies to Russia if Moscow is sure that it would not harm its domestic production or investors, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev told Reuters on June 1.