The Minister of food and agriculture of Germany Christian Schmidt during the two-day visit to Moscow, which begins Tuesday, intends to raise the issue of lifting the ban on exports to Russia of European agricultural products.

This is stated in the statement of Schmidt, published Tuesday on the website of the Department.

"Germany and Russia should maintain a dialogue with each other, - said the head of the Ministry of agriculture of Germany. My visit is an important contribution to the intensifying negotiations with Moscow."

At the same time, Schmidt stressed that progress largely depends on the implementation of the Minsk agreements on Ukraine.

"My goal is the gradual lifting of the Russian embargo on European products," he said, expressing the view that the ban "does not benefit Russia." As stressed by Schmidt, RF in the future may play an important role in providing the world with food".
 

The German Minister believes that "Europe and Germany are natural trading partners".

According to the Ministry of agriculture of Germany, in Moscow, Schmidt will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Alexander Tkachev, Minister of industry and trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, the Minister of economic development Alexei Ulyukaev and Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Arkady Dvorkovich.