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Last week, the Russian media started spreading information about Ukraine being the largest importer of the Russian medicines and asserting that the total export value of the Russian pharmaceutical products to Ukraine amounted to 60.6 million US dollars in the first half of 2018. This statement is factually inaccurate.

According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine:

1. The total value of import of pharmaceutical products to Ukraine from the Russian Federation in the period January-June 2018 amounted to 9.669 million US dollars.

2. Since the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the beginning of war in eastern Ukraine, there has been a marked downward trend in the volume of imports of the Russian pharmaceutical products to Ukraine. Compared to the first half of 2017, the volume of imports of the Russian pharmaceutical products to Ukraine decreased by 31.7% (in monetary terms) in the first half of 2018.

3. The Russia-origin pharmaceutical products accounted for only 1.05% of the Ukraine's total import of pharmaceutical products in the first half of 2018.

4. In addition, some Russian media continue to mislead readers by asserting that Ukraine purchases vaccines from the Russian Federation. We emphasize that Ukraine does not purchase human vaccines from the Russian Federation, since we only procure vaccines from the GMP certified pharmaceutical manufacturers (Good Manufacturing Practice) and the Russian vaccines are manufactured by the state pharmaceutical enterprises not certified for compliance with the GMP standards, which means that these vaccines are not manufactured in full compliance with the internationally recognized quality assurance system, in accordance with the latest quality and safety standards.

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has been making repeated attempts to initiate amendments to Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1147 dated December 30, 2015 On the ban on import of goods originating from the Russian Federation to the customs territory of Ukraine, to expand the list of the Russia-origin goods prohibited for import into Ukraine under the Hs Tariff Code of Chapter-30 (Pharmaceutical Products).

In addition, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has initiated supplements to the Law of Ukraine On Sanctions (Paragraph 3, Article 4), in particular adding a subparagraph on the prohibition of issuance of permits for the use in medical practice (registration / re-registration) of a pharmaceutical product either manufactured in the aggressor state or the rights to which the aggressor state owns.

We are grateful to the Ukrainian media for not reprinting and disseminating the provocative statements of the neighboring state, their diligence in coping with such challenges.