A Spanish delegation headed by the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (Marm) is this week visiting counterparts in Moscow, Russia, in an effort to strengthen trade relations between the two nations, as part of the wider EU-Russia accord.
Fronted by Spain’s secretary of state for rural matters Josep Puxeu, the delegation will spend a week in negotiations with Russian politicians and business representatives with the aim of opening up Russia’s rapidly expanding consumer market to a range of food products, especially fresh fruits and vegetables.
Last year Spain exported €428m-worth of agricultural items to Russia, or 20.5 per cent of the Mediterranean country’s total agricultural exports.
Marm claims Russia holds great potential for Spanish food items, particularly citrus, on account of the country’s growing 150m-strong population and rising demand for fruit and vegetable imports.
The trade mission follows a recent visit to Spain by Russian phytosanitary and veterinary officials on 23-28 June to examine Spanish food safety protocols.
