Lavrov: Russian sanctions in line with WTO rules

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russia’s ban on Western food imports was in line with the WTO rules and prompted by national security interests.
“We are going to use all instruments, including those available at the WTO, to rule out any violations of commitments taken by our partners. As for us, we are fulfilling our obligations,” Lavrov stressed.
“The decisions we made on agricultural goods supplied by some WTO members are prompted by national security interests and are in line with the WTO rules,” Lavrov said.
The European Union has taken some steps to restrict the abilities of Rosselkhozbank to finance domestic agriculture.
“Unfair competition in favor of European producers has been created in our market of agricultural products,” Lavrov explained.
“The second consideration is linked directly to Russia’s national security. If countries unite against us and impose sectoral sanctions against Russia, they can hardly be called good partners,” the Russian foreign minister went on to say.
Food supplies to the population are a vital aspect of state security that, in Lavrov’s view, should not be entirely dependent on such countries.