On November 29, a Russian government agency officially confirmed the blockage of the import of many food products from Armenia, citing concerns about food safety. This move comes as Yerevan’s geopolitical rifts with Moscow continue to intensify.

The Russian agricultural watchdog (State Veterinary and Sanitary Service-Rosselkhoznadzor) claimed a significant rise in “harmful quarantined organisms” in Armenian vegetables, fruit, and flowers during inspections at Russia’s primary border crossing with Georgia.

“From November 24 to 26, 36 cases of contaminated flowers, cucumbers, dried fruits, grapes, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, apples, and pears being imported into Russia were identified. This indicates a decrease in oversight on the part of the Food Safety Inspectorate of Armenia and poses a threat to the phytosanitary well-being of Russia,” it said in a statement.

Rosselkhoznadzor further asked the Armenian side to “immediately take comprehensive measures to prevent shipments of contaminated products to Russia.”

In response, the Armenian Food Safety Inspectorate expressed concern over the fact that out of the total 72 violations reported by the relevant department of the Russian agency in cargo exported from Armenia in 2023, half of them (36) were identified over almost 11 months, while the other half (36) were found within just a few days. The Armenian watchdog views this fact noteworthy, especially considering the Russian department’s statement that the inspections were conducted in working order, without any changes to the handling procedure.

Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan stated that authorities in Yerevan are actively examining the claims made by Rosselkhoznadzor. He mentioned that Armenian officials are scheduled to meet with their Russian counterparts later in the week to gain a better understanding of any changes in the Russian food safety regulations that might have led to a notable shift in statistics.

Many drivers of Armenian trucks responsible for transporting food and other goods to Russia through Georgia reported experiencing much stricter and longer sanitary checks on the Russian side of the Upper Lars border crossing. As a result, hundreds of trucks were left stranded at Upper Lars on November 29, with dozens being denied entry into Russia and forced to return to Armenia in recent days.