A return to the Russian market could be on the cards for a raft of fruit and vegetable companies in Hungary, Greece and Cyprus, news agency Reuters has reported. 

According to the article, Russia is considering lifting restrictions against 20 firms from the three countries and allowing trade to resume.

Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) head Sergey Dankvert reportedly said inspections were continuing and numbers could be increased, but stressed any food producers allowed back into Russia would not be automatic or easy.

Since the former Soviet country implemented its embargo on all European Union Member States last August, speculation has mounted on several occasions suggesting some countries like Greece could have agricultural trade.

In April, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras traveled to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the possibility of lifting restrictions. However, Putin later announced he would not make any exception on the EU ban for individual countries.

Although Hungary, Greece and Cyprus have been part of the EU embargo, the countries have largely avoided overly criticizing Moscow's actions in Crimea and Ukraine.

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