Russia bans meat imports from EU

Russia has banned imports of meat and dairy products from the European Union and the Baltics because of foot-and-mouth.

The ban will be effective for at least 21 days.

It also covers imports from the three Baltic nations - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Russia is a major meat importer and while the ban is in place it will rely mainly on meat from the former Soviet republics of Belarus and Ukraine.

Russia had earlier imposed a ban on beef, pork, lamb and other meat from Britain and France, which both have cases of foot-and-mouth disease.

Experts warn Russian herds are also under threat closer to home, with cases of the disease registered just across Russia's borders in Mongolia and the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

Officials say Russia regularly vaccinates livestock for foot-and-mouth and has seen very few cases over the past decade.