Update: Shortly after this story was published, hopes were dashed when Russian President Vladimir Putin told a press conference he would "not make an exception for any one country of the European Union".

Three European Union member states that oppose Western sanctions against Russia could see their agricultural trade re-open with the country, and Greece looks like the first in line.

Photo: Maria Belova

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras traveled to Moscow today for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to restore a trade rate that has fallen 40% since last year, according to TASS.

"Your visit could not have come at a better time, as we must analyze what we together could do to restore the former rate of growth," Putin was quoted as saying.

The press agency reported Russia had prepared proposals to lift the ban on Greek food, as an exception to the EU-wide ban implemented on August 6 last year.

Click here for more stories on this issue that has dramatically changed the shape of the global produce industry.

"We’ll be discussing in detail this issue during the meeting of the Russian Prime Minister with his Greek counterpart tomorrow," Russia’s Economic Development Minister Alexey Ulyukayev was quoted as saying during a meeting with Tsipras yesterday.

"We've prepared a number of proposals regarding the embargo issue for discussion."

Website Rt.com reported Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksey Pushkov said a lifting of the embargo for Cyprus and Hungary was also under consideration.

In March, RK Marketing and FruitNews.ru director Irina Koziy told www.freshfruitportal.com Greek strawberries normally accounted for around a third of the Russian strawberry market, while in addition to the berry the Greek industry had also requested a re-opening for peaches and oranges.

While Incofruit-Hellas reported Greek fruit and vegetable exports to Russia stood at €178 million in 2013, during Fruit Logistica in Berlin the association's president George Frangistas told www.freshfruitportal.com the fall in the ruble meant trade would likely be lower than normal even if the ban were never in place.

www.freshfruitportal.com