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Greece’s exclusion from Russian food embargo impossible — RSPP head

"I think it’s impossible. Otherwise, lots of items will flow through Greece. For example, Switzerland has increased its apple exports to Russia 2.500%," Alexander Shokhin said

YEKATERINBURG, July 9. /TASS/. The exclusion of Greece from the Russian food embargo is impossible because of the risk that "a lot of things will flow through this country," President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) Alexander Shokhin told TASS on Thursday on the sidelines of the INNOPROM-2015 International Industrial Trade Fair in Yekaterinburg.

"I think it’s impossible. Otherwise, lots of items will flow through Greece. For example, Switzerland has increased its apple exports to Russia 2.500%, and this is a very civilized country, an example of decency. I think the same thing may happen in Greece," he noted. According to Shokhin, the chances are high that Greece "will learn to re-apply labels", just like Belarus.

Shokhin mentioned a possibility of some advance payment for the transit of hydrocarbons as an option of Russia’s support for Greece, if this country joined the construction of a pipeline, which was the continuation of the Turkish Stream. "But we have many uncertainties with the Turkish Stream, therefore it’s clear that such an opportunity of supporting Greece is rather abstract."

"The leaders of the IMF and the US Secretary for the Treasury have already begun to call on the EU, the European Central Bank to agree to the restructuring of the Greek debt, because they fear that Greece may end up in Russia's arms. Although there were no proposals from us yet, the Americans feel a potential threat," Shokhin said.