Hungary, Greece, Cyprus to resume trade with Russia regardless of Western sanctions

© Flickr/ Bart Koop-Henzen

    

Hungary, Greece and Cyprus may soon be allowed to export fruit and vegetables to the Russian market, according to a report in the newspaper .

Russian health authorities are conducting audits of suppliers in all three countries, as well as India, Alexey Alexeyenko, the director of Rosselkhoznadzor (the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) is quoted as saying.

"About 20 companies will be verified in Greece and Hungary. In India — less, around four to five. Cyprus has requested a delay for technical reasons and therefore, the audits will begin on April 27, where seven to eight companies will be checked."

The US, the EU and other western countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Moscow in 2014 and early 2015. Russia responded by embargo of several foodstuffs, including dairy products, meat, fruits and vegetables from the EU, Canada, Australia and Norway.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in early April and it is understood agricultural trade was discussed.

Russia banned about $9 billion worth of imports of fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish and dairy from the European Union and some other countries in early August of 2014.