Russia Seeks To Boost Agricultural Exports Up To $45Bln By 2024 - Putin

Russia intends to increase its total value of agricultural exports to $45 billion by 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual "Direct Line" Q&A session on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th June, 2019) Russia intends to increase its total value of agricultural exports to $45 billion by 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual "Direct Line" Q&A session on Thursday.

The president stressed that economic sanctions imposed by the West against Russia in 2014 prompted the development of areas, in which Russia "had not been competent enough," including agriculture. According to Putin, no one could expect 10 years ago that Russian agricultural exports would amount to $25.7 billion nowadays.

"And moreover, we are striving to ensure that agricultural exports will amount to $45 billion by 2024, and I think this figure is attainable.

This is a realistic plan," Putin added.

The president added that the sanctions also triggered the development of such fields as marine engines construction, fuel and energy machine building.

Relations between Moscow and the West deteriorated in 2014 after Crimea reunified with Russia and an armed conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine. The European Union and the United States imposed restrictive measures against Russian individuals, companies and economic sectors. Last June, Brussels prolonged its Ukraine-related sanctions until June 23, 2019.