A two-week visit by Russian food and veterinary inspectors to Estonian fishery and dairy industry companies is currently under way, with experts saying there is no way to predict the results.
The Head of the Estonian Veterinary and Food Board Ago Pärtel, who is accompanying the group, told Postimees on October 17, that as Estonian companies want to export to Russia, there is no reason to oppose such checkups, which take place every few years.
Russia banned Lithuanian dairy products at the beginning of this month after a similar checkup. That action came amidst a trade row between the countries. Russian inspectors have also recently found Dutch dairy products to be unsatisfactory, a move that observers have linked to recent political tensions between Moscow and The Hague.
The head of the dairy company Valio Eesti, Maido Solovjov, said that as Russia does not satisfy its own internal dairy demands and even if Estonian products were to be banned, Russia would likely overturn the decision in the near future.
