Cairo is inching nearer a deal with Moscow which would give Russia long-term access to Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer, in return for low prices.

Egyptian trade minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid will on Wednesday meet his Russian counterpart, Viktor Khristenko, to discuss developing a trade relationship which is already seeing Russia win the lion's share of Egyptian wheat tenders.

The meeting will discuss "the possibility of signing a long-term agreement to import Russian wheat of high quality with favourable conditions", Egypt's trade ministry said.

Burying the hatchet

Cairo and Moscow raised the prospect of a deal in June as they settled differences after Egypt ordered a Russian cargo to be re-exported over quality concerns and subjected further shipments to close scrutiny.

Russian deputy economy minister Andrei Slepnyov said then that a deal "will become possible after the issue of quality control is resolved.

"We will work on a joint certificate and quality control. We would want [long-term contracts] this season, but will see how it works out."

Export target 

Since then, concerns about the quality of Russia's grain have diminished, thanks in part to a bumper harvest in Siberia, where cold acts as a natural suppressant for silo pests.

Meanwhile, Egypt has enforced standardised export regulation, including a minimum shipment size of 60,000 tonnes on shipment sizes which is viewed as a hurdle to France, whose main grain port, Rouen, can take at best 35,000-tonne vessels.

Russia is targeting a doubling in its wheat exports in 10-15 years.