Russian Cheese King to Italy: Recognize Crimea to Export Parmesan Again

Italy should recognize Crimea as Russian territory before being allowed to export parmesan into the country again, the head of Russia’s cheesemakers union said Sunday.

Russia banned wholesale imports of fresh EU food produce including parmesan in retaliation to Western sanctions over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Italian Ambassador to Moscow Pasquale Terracciano on Friday urged Russia to exclude parmesan from its food ban in an interview with Forbes Russia, arguing that its negligible amount of lactose makes it a non-dairy product.

Oleg Sirota, chairman of the Russian cheesemakers’ union and one of the food embargo’s most vocal proponents, responded that allowing parmesan imports would “bankrupt” budding homegrown parmesan producers and be “morally wrong.”

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/03/29/russian-cheese-king-to-italy-recognize-crimea-to-export-parmesan-again-a73395