“Now China is the main trade and economic partner of Russia, and our plans are to increase mutual trade turnover. Therefore, it is not advisable to establish any restrictions on export-import operations, including with regard to timber products, unless absolutely necessary, ”RIA Novosti quoted Manturov as saying.

He noted that he did not believe that “the issue of a complete ban on timber exports to China requires an immediate solution.”

Earlier, the head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology, Dmitry Kobylkin, said that Russia could ban timber exports to China in the absence of Chinese assistance in solving the problem of illegal logging.

Chairman of the Duma Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection, coordinator of the federal project "Clean Country" Vladimir Burmatov in an interview with the FAN commented on Kobylkin's statement.