MOSCOW, January 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia to ban imports of chilled meat of poultry, beef and pork from Germany starting on February 4 due to latter’s nonobservance of veterinary and sanitary requirements, an official with Russia’s veterinary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said.

The watchdog said on Monday that although Germany guarantees to abide by Russia’s veterinary and sanitary requirements, it systematically violates them.

“We are introducing a ban on imports of chilled meat from Germany starting on February 4,” Artyom Daushev, the head of one of Rosselkhoznadzor departments, said.

Last March, Russia imposed a ban on imports of live swine and livestock from all EU countries, including from Germany, due to the spread of deadly animal viruses in Europe.

The Russian veterinary service said back then that it was concerned with the lack of export control on the part of EU countries and occasional violations of veterinary norms related to exports of live swine to Russia.