REUTERS
Eight companies from Switzerland have been allowed to supply cheese and processed meat to Russia, according to Russian economic information agency Prime.
"Following inspection jointly conducted by [Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance] Rosselkhoznadzor and Switzerland's Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office on February 8-19, 2015, eight of the 13 examined Swiss-based enterprises were allowed to supply products of animal origin (cheeses, finished meat products) to the Russian Federation," the Russian watchdog said, Prime wrote.
Experts from the two countries will continue negotiations in November when the issue of allowing the remaining five enterprises' shipments will be decided.
Early in 2014, Russia introduced retaliatory measures in response to European and U.S. sanctions, having banned the supply of almost major groups of foods from the West. Russia also drew up a stop list for some European and U.S. citizens.
Ordinary consumers in Russia have faced the major aftermath of the Russian countersanctions – an added impetus to spiraling food-related inflation, which in 2014 hit a record high of 15% over the past years. Russia has not seen such an increase in prices of food since 2008.