The ROC supported the extension of the food embargo Russia
MOSCOW, 15 Nov — RIA Novosti. The food embargo, the validity of which Russia moved to the end of 2018, can help the development of agriculture in the country, and European and American sanctions gave the government a chance to develop its own industry, said the Chairman of the Synodal Department for external Church relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
In early July the EU Council for six months extended economic restrictive measures against Russia. Their validity in Brussels linked with the full implementation of the Minsk agreements on Ukraine. In response, Moscow has shifted the time of cancellation food embargo until 31 December 2018. In addition, the Senate of the U.S. Congress on 15 June approved a bill providing for new sanctions against Russia.
We live in a country where such kind of sanctions should not be scary. We have a huge natural, human and material resources. If we depend on our foreign partners, it is rather a drawback that we need to fix than circumstance is to complain.Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, Jarinputstream of the Synodal Department for external Church relations
About the same time, Metropolitan said on air of the program “Church and world” on TV channel “Russia-24”.
He recalled the statement of Patriarch Kirill, who in the fall of 2015, to paraphrase Voltaire said that “if sanctions were not, they would be worth inventing”, and wealth and great opportunities of Russia allow it to do everything except the cultivation of tropical fruits.
“In the 1990-ies we could observe the roll in the opposite direction, when people took out money from the country, by investing them in foreign economies and resources of others, when we have received the goods from abroad in exchange for their raw materials. From this situation it is necessary to leave, and hope that sanctions will help,” — said the Hierarch.
He added that the Russian equivalent of European products can satisfy the most discriminating tastes, but also have important advantage — they are not at risk to deteriorate during long distance transport.
“It is better to grow your own. If we don’t quite learned that before the sanctions, now we have a great chance to make a fresh, tasty, healthy and wholesome foods that also do not have to drive from distant overseas countries”, — concluded the head of the DECR.