Normalising relations with Turkey; prolonging some special economic measures to ensure Russia’s security; signing the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events.
Excerpts from Dmitry Medvedev’s opening remarks:
Government Meeting
The President has instructed the Government to finalise a resolution on resuming trade cooperation with Turkey and on lifting a number of restrictions. These restrictions dealt with the work of Turkish companies and the delivery of certain goods and services to Russia. Charter flights were prohibited, and some other measures implemented.
We need to draft proposals on amending the relevant resolutions. We will act stage by stage. It is necessary to lift these restrictions in the context of an improved political backdrop but not to the detriment of Russian producers and those partners that have already occupied vacant niches on the Russian market.
The lifting of the charter flight ban, a ban on such flights to Turkey and recommendations advising Russian tourists not to travel Turkey remains topical now at the height of the summer holiday season. Therefore it is very important to obtain additional guarantees from Turkish authorities and to see to it that effective measures are taken to guarantee the safety of Russian holidaymakers, especially in the context of the latest tragic events in Istanbul.
We also need to review issues linked with lifting the food embargo, but they require more thorough preparations.
Retaliatory measures with regard to a number of states, including the European Union, also need to be examined. Yesterday, the President signed an executive order on extending certain special economic measures to guarantee the security of Russia. I will sign the appropriate resolution. The document calls for extending a ban on the import of agricultural products, feedstock and food from the United States, EU countries, Canada, Australia, Norway, Ukraine, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland and Lichtenstein into Russia until 31 December 2017.
The list of these goods remains unchanged, and all the bans remain in force. A decision on restrictive measures was adopted almost two years ago in retaliation for EU sanctions and those of some other states. This sphere of our relations has not improved in any way.
Russia’s decision to extend the food embargo is motivated not so much by EU sanctions as by the need to create the most favourable and predictable conditions for Russian farmers. Therefore the appropriate restrictive measures shall be introduced for a period of 18 months, rather than six months.
Another document deals with the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events. The document builds up on the 1985 European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches.
Russia will soon host the World Cup. We must maintain law and order in all cities hosting football matches, and signing the convention is also linked with this.
