RIA Novosti reports that for three years, Italy's small and medium-sized businesses have been seriously affected. Recall, Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 6, 2014 signed a decree banning the import into Russia of certain types of agricultural products, raw materials and food from countries that have introduced anti-Russian sanctions. Restrictions will be in force until the end of 2018. During the decree, the European Union, Canada, the USA, Australia, Norway will not be able to import meat, sausages, vegetables, fruits, dairy products to us..

However, Italian business is quite specific. It consists of small and medium-sized companies that are poorly represented in the Russian market. Only 70 of them produce goods in the Russian Federation. Two years ago, they began to invest money in localization in order to keep the market, including through full or partial production in Russia. The president of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce, Rosario Alessandrello, says that because of the counter-embargo, 11-12 billion euros of exports to Russia and 200,000 jobs have already been lost. He noted that agro-food sector suffered most of all. Rosario Alessandrello, that this can not be adjusted, Italy needs new markets, and Russia is the most suitable.

South and North American markets are also interesting, but can not be regarded as a full replacement.

By the same tome, sanctions will not allow the implementation of the "Nord Stream-2". Russia will cooperate with China, which can not replace Europe. Alessandrello expressed the opinion that it is necessary to resume the dialogue between the countries, and it should begin in Moscow. At least because some Italian agro-food products can not be reproduced, they are produced in certain regions.