MOSCOW, December 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will lift its two-year embargo on Polish meat next week in line with an agreement reached with Warsaw, the Russian agriculture minister announced on Wednesday.
"Deliveries will be resumed as soon as departments sign a memorandum. Other restrictions on certain types of agricultural produce will be left in force, but this is a normal situation," Alexei Gordeyev told a news conference after talks in Moscow with his Polish counterpart, Marek Sawicki.
The countries' veterinary services will sign a memorandum in Kaliningrad, Russia's exclave on the Baltic Sea bordering on Poland, next week.
Russia banned Polish meat exports in November 2005 over allegations that the country was supplying poor-quality meat from third countries. Poland vetoed talks on a new Russia-EU partnership and cooperation agreement in protest against the embargo.
Gordeyev said: "We have complete understanding and an agreement on the resumption of agricultural produce deliveries."
He said poor-quality imports to Russia from third countries through Poland will not happen in the future under any circumstances.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski told RIA Novosti that Warsaw was likely to back down on its opposition to Russia-EU talks on a new cooperation pact following the lifting of the embargo.
"We consider Russia's intentions to be a very important, positive signal. The lifting of the embargo on delivery of our products to Russia will serve as a basis for changing Poland's position on the EU's talks with Russia," he said.
