The Russian ban on importing fresh produce from Turkey, dubbed as the "tomato crisis", has been lifted.
Starting from next week, Turkish vegetables will again be available on the Russian market, according to a report by Turkey's Zaman Daily.
Following a phone conversation between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the ministers of agriculture of both countries met this week in Moscow, concluding that imports of produce would become free through a preliminary control system after Turkish initiatives.
Turkish product will be able to freely enter the Russian market starting next week. Russian minister of agriculture Alexei Gordeyev said a Russian delegation will visit Turkey for a preliminary customs control without the participation of Turkish representative. Turkey will sign an agreement with Russia, similar to the one Russia previously signed with the EU regarding fruits and vegetables.
"This will be one of the most important agreements between the two countries," the report says. It added that Turkey's Minister of Agriculture Mehdi Eker "expressed pleasure with Russian tolerance," noting that both countries plan to start comprehensive co-operation in other areas including plant protection and veterinary medicine.
