Russia to keep imported meat quotas until 2009

MOSCOW - Russia will keep its right to set quotas on poultry, beef and pork imports until 2009, the country's chief negotiator with the World Trade Organization (WTO) said Thursday in the lower chamber of parliament.

Speaking at a session of the State Duma's committee for agrarian issues,

Maxim Medvedkov said that quotas would remain unchanged. But he added that quotas would be raised by 2%, if Russia joined the WTO.

"This is the price of our partners' consent to keep the quotas," Medvedkov said. "This figure is half of the expected minimum growth in the consumption of the relevant products in Russia."

Source: RIA Novosti

1 July 2005