Threat to Russian meat exports lifted after high level telephone talks

The EU has struck a deal to resume its €1.3 billion per year meat exports to Russia, which were temporarily suspended last week by Moscow.

A European Commission spokesman said exports would be resumed “very soon”, after Commission chief Romano Prodi and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov held telephone talks to clear the air.

Relations between the trading blocs have been delicate since the EU enlargement to Russia’s borders.

Russia is an important market for Irish beef, taking about 80,000 tonnes in recent years.