TEL AVIV, September 10 (RIA Novosti) – Israel will continue food supplies to Russia even if it is pressured by the European Union to limit the sales, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel Yair Shamir told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
“First of all I don’t feel it [pressure] and I don’t see it. Take into account that lately the Europeans have been putting some boycotts on our products. So how it goes? They put boycott on us and we will not help somebody else? They can’t. They can’t on the one hand stop [Israeli] sales to Europe and on the other hand stop sales to Russia. That doesn’t work together. They have to decide,” Shamir said.
“If they come to us and say ‘Well, we will not do any boycott’. Then maybe we can negotiate. But I don’t think that Israeli government will go for that,” Shamir added.
On August 7, Moscow imposed a ban on food imports from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway in response to economic sanctions imposed on Russia over its alleged role in escalating the Ukrainian crisis.
The ban, targeting meat, fish, poultry and milk products, and well as nuts, fruits and vegetables, is expected to last for one year.
According to Amsterdam-based ING group estimates, released earlier this month, Russian food restrictions could cost the European Union $9 billion annually.
In Russia, European food products are being substituted by local agricultural products.
Israel, along with a number of Latin American countries, including Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, have expressed their willingness to boost food exports to Russia.
