One of the more pressing items discussed in Moscow on Wednesday between the Russian and Greek leaders was the issue of the Kremlin’s ban on EU farm product imports – a tit-for-tat response to EU sanctions over Russia’s alleged mischief in eastern Ukraine.
Athens is anxious to resume exports to the large Russian market given the dire economic situation in the east Mediterranean country.
One way around the Kremlin ban is the creation of joint Greek-Russian companies on Russian soil, a “loophole” reportedly proposed by the Russian side to avoid its measure. Under such a process, the same sources said, the products would not be “exported” by Greek producers but “imported” by Russian companies — which include Greek interests – for processing.