Russia's agriculture minister on Wednesday agreed to end a ban on Polish meat imports, removing a bone of contention between the historic rivals that has strained EU-Russian ties.
"We are in complete agreement on resuming deliveries of meat products from Poland," Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev told journalists in Moscow. Gordeyev was speaking after talks with his Polish counterpart Marek Sawicki, part of the government under Poland's new liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has set out to improve relations with Russia since taking office last month.
"An agreement will be signed next week in Kaliningrad between the veterinary services of the two countries," Gordeyev said, referring to Russia's westernmost province. "As soon as the memorandum is signed, deliveries will begin again."
The dispute is behind the Polish government's veto on a wide-ranging EU-Russia partnership and trade agreement meant to smooth relations between Brussels and Moscow.
Despite the apparent resolution to the meat problem, the Polish government said it would not remove the veto before the embargo was fully lifted. "There is no timetable. We are waiting for the signature of a document on the resumption of deliveries," ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski told AFP.