According to the ministry, such prohibition is
opaque, unjustified and discriminatory. Thus, Russia has violated its
obligations assumed in the framework of its membership in the World Trade
Organization, as well as of the Free Trade Agreement as of October 18, 2011,
the ministry reported.
At the same time, the ministry notes that the
Russian legislation adopted in the early days of 2016 envisages certain
restrictions regarding the transit of goods from Ukraine.
In particular, such restrictions are provided
for in Russian President's decree No. 1 "On measures to ensure the
economic security and national interests of the Russian Federation during the
transportation of goods from the territory of Ukraine to the Republic of
Kazakhstan through the Russian Federation," and a similar resolution of
the Russian government.
In this regard, the Ukrainian Economic
Development Ministry called on Ukrainian companies to take into account this
information during transit arrangements.
"At the moment, the operational
headquarters response teams are continuously monitoring the situation regarding
imports to the Russian Federation and transit through its territory. In this
regard, the Infrastructure Ministry and the companies concerned are developing
'alternative' transit routes," the min
istry reported.
In addition, the ministry set up phone hotlines
to report about any issues that arise.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian President
Vladimir Putin signed on December 16 a decree suspending
the agreement on a free trade area with Ukraine from January 1, 2016.
On December 25, Russia's Federation Council,
which is the upper house of the Russian parliament, unanimously
endorsed the
bill on the suspension by the Russian Federation of the Treaty on the free
trade area in respect of Ukraine as of January 1, 2016.
Harsh trade measures against Ukraine were
announced by Russia in response to Ukraine's refusal to postpone the
introduction of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine
and the EU. The agreement will come into force in full on January 1, 2016.
Ukraine's Economy Ministry on December 29
proposed a ban on the imports of meat, fish, cereals, grains, bakery foods,
vodka, beer, cigarettes, confectionery, pet food, chemicals and railway
equipment from Russia to Ukraine as of January 10, 2016, in response to the
expected introduction by Russia of a trade embargo against Ukraine.
The full list of banned goods was posted on the
ministry's website. All government decisions came into force on
January 2, 2016.
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