Rogrigo Castanion, general manager of the Chilean Pork Producers Association and Chilean Poultry Producers Association, made an official visit to the Russian Federation. The visit, conducted on September 11, was aimed at holding discussions on assuring the safety of animal products intended for export to Russia.
Russia has recently expanded its talks with Latin American nations, after imposing a ban on food products from the United States, Canada, European Union, Australia and Norway.
The Russian-Chilean negotiations were held at the Leningrad Interoblast Veterinary Laboratory (FGBI) and subordinated to the Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian federal service for veterinary and phytosanitary surveillance.
Julia Shvabauskene, head of the Rosselkhoznadzor Territorial Administration for St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, and Antonina Brovkina, director of the FGBI. During the meeting, leading experts of the Rosselkhoznadzor FGBI and members of the Chilean delegation discussed the structural features of the veterinary surveillance system in the Russian Federation and rules of regulated consignment electronic certification. In addition, the possible increase in export of Chilean food products to the Russian Federation was discussed. The Rosselkhoznadzor and FGBI experts informed foreign guests about the procedure for federal monitoring laboratory testing of imported products and answered numerous questions on sampling procedure, quality standards and indicators for imported products laid down in the Russian Federation legislation.
At the Shushary Veterinary Inspection Post, located in the temporary storage warehouse near St. Petersburg, experts of the Rosselkhoznadzor territorial administration explained to the Chilean colleagues the procedures for physical and documentary checks of imported consignments and described animal health requirements for products imported to Russia from third countries as well as demonstrated step- by-step an operation of Argus and Mercury electronic certification systems for regulated consignments.
At the end of his visit to St Petersburg, Castanion thanked the Russian party representatives for hosting and marked their high professional levels and expressed his hope for further mutually beneficial cooperation.
