Russian vets softening certification deadline for Thai exporters

According to an official release of Rosselkhoznadzor dated 2 July 2007, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Rosselkhoznadzor held talks with the Thai Embassy which has approached the Russian agency for the negotiations on its own initiative. The Russian delegation was led by head of Rosselkhoznadzor's organization-inspectorate department Igor Chernyshenko, while the Thai side was headed by the Minister of Economy of the Thai Embassy Virachai Nopsuvanvong (name transliterated from Russian).

Due to the inability of the Thai side to meet the deadline for introduction of new veterinary certificates for Thai seafood imported to Russia as of 1 July 2007, representatives of the embassy have approached Rosselkhoznadzor so that it would postpone the deadline. The Russian side has agreed that the new rules for seafood importation from Thailand (import from approved plants only) should come into force after mutual checks of the Thai fish processing companies willing to export their product range to Russia. Such check is expected to take place in the first ten days of August after the Russian vet checks of Chinese fish processing companies.

Until the end of July 2007 the Thai Embassy in Russia is to give Rosselkhoznadzor a list of Thai companies willing to export seafood to Russia.

The representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor gave the Thai side a draft Protocol on cooperation between Rosselkhoznadzor and Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture.