Albania diversifying export partners after Russian embargo

Albania is diversifying its produce export partners as it planned to sign an agreement with Ukraine in September after Russian embargo, Albanian minister of agriculture Edmond Panariti said on Friday.

"In September, I will visit Ukraine to sign an agreement for a massive export of fruits, vegetables, and processed agricultural products. This year agriculture has seen an unprecedented boom in the export of its products, a proof of the success of policies to support the creation of the chain of values," Panariti told a press conference.

"In 2014, Albania was unjustly banned to export agricultural products to Russia, because some firms of EU countries under the embargo were sending their products to Russia by using falsified Albanian certificates printed in their own countries," Panariti said.

But this has not hindered Albania's agriculture to double the export of fruits and vegetables from Lushnja, Berati, Elbasan, compared to the previous year, Panariti was quoted by Albanian daily news as saying.

Russia has extended food trade ban to five more countries, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced Thursday.

The five countries are Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Ukraine (with reservations), according to the document published at the government website.

Among the countries, Albania carries no trade with Russia in the agricultural sector.