Russia's ban on vegetable imports from the European Union will temporarily speed up inflation, which in April reached 9.6 percent year-on-year, Central Bank Deputy Chairman Sergei Shvetsov said on Monday.
"It will only have a short-term effect on inflation, afterwards everything will get back to normal," Shvetsov said, adding the ban would likely soon be lifted.
Last week Russia banned vegetable imports from the 27-nation bloc following an outbreak of a highly virulent strain of the E. coli bacteria that has caused at least 20 deaths. The EU protested against the ban and requested an immediate withdrawal of the measure.
The government has set a target of 6.5-7.5 percent consumer price growth in 2011.
MOSCOW, June 6 (RIA Novosti)
