Brussels, 18/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission indicated on Wednesday 17 April that it was rather optimistic about its chances of persuading Russia to lift its ban on Polish meat (see EUROPE 9405). Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou is due to meet Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev in Cyprus on Saturday 21 April to discuss the matter. Mr Kyrianou's spokesman said that, in the evening of 17 April, the Commission had sent responses to Moscow's questions on the quality of Polish products. Mr Kyprianou felt that a solution to the problem was close, although everything depended on the on-going technical consultations and Saturday's meeting between the commissioner and Mr Gordeyev, the spokesman said. He added that the Commission was prepared, if necessary, to clarify technical questions the Russian authorities might ask. In Nicosia (Cyprus on 13 April, Mr Kyprianou told press he was “sure we are coming close to the solution to the problem” of the ban, in place since the end of 2005, on imports of meat from Poland. Since the imposition of this ban, Poland has blocked EU-Russia negotiations on a new partnership agreement. (lc)