Russia’s food hygiene inspection team consisting of 3 members has arrived in Vietnam to look into hygiene conditions of ports, fishing markets and processing workshops.
On March 12, after meeting with leaders of Ministry of Fisheries, the Russian Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytoveterinary Surveillance  inspection team have worked with National Fisheries Quality and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved).

As scheduled, the inspection team will examine fishing ports, fish markets, aquaculture and seafood processing establishments from 13 to 28 March, 2007. During that time, they will carefully look into the aquaculture equipments, hygiene monitoring procedure at seafood processing establishments and seafood supply chains.

The inspection team should have arrived in Vietnam in February. However, in consideration of the traditional Tet holiday, Nafiqaved leaders on behalf of Ministry of Fisheries have requested Russia to delay the inspection until March.

In mid January 2007, Deputy Minister of Fisheries Nguyen Thi Hong Minh signed a decision, requesting Vietnamese seafood exporters to have certificates of food hygiene for products to be exported to Russia. The decision was made at the request of the Russian side.
 
Under the decision, from January 15, in addition to the certificate under the form provided by VPSS, the exporters of seafood products to Russia must present documents showing that their processing establishments can meet the strict requirements on food hygiene.
 
As for the exporters that do not have processing workshops, their products will be allowed to be exported to Russia only if their products are processed in establishments that have certificates on food hygiene. Moreover, all seafood exporters must follow the requirements by Nafiqaved in labeling and coding export consignments.

In 2006, Vietnam exported 58,705 tonnes of seafood to Russia, worth $126.3mil, an increase of 347% in quantity and 275% in value compared to 2005.