While Belarus tended to follow suit in Russian food import policies leading up to the recent produce embargo, the country's government has announced there will be no changes to its imports of meat, fish, dairy products, fruits and vegetables.

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2001. Photo: Kremlin.ru

However, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has emphasized his country will not become a transit state for the re-export of foods not allowed by its powerful neighbor.

The matter was discussed during a recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"In the phone talk with the President of Russia we discussed the protection, as he said, of the Russian market," Lukashenko told state-owned media agency BelTA.

"It means that we should fulfill our obligations to protect the Union State market (we have the common customs in the customs space) regarding the transit of goods from the West to Russia via Belarus.

"As Russia closed its market for certain goods, we should not allow the transit of these products to Russia via Belarus."

Click here for more stories on the Russian import ban.

Alexander Petrov, who heads up the State Customs Committee of Belarus' organizational and analytical department, told BelTA the Russian sanctions did not hamper the legal movement of goods from the European Union and Ukraine across the Belarusian border.

"The agreements reached are in full compliance with Belarus’ international obligations and do not create obstacles for the legal movement of goods from the European Union and Ukraine across the Belarusian border," Petrov said.

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