Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has extended ban on products imported from the West which has imposed sanctions against Russia.

Medvedev approved an order by President Vladimir Putin to prohibit food imports for another year from Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.

The list includes fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, milk and dairy products but some Russian officials have said it could be expanded to include flowers, chocolates and canned fish.

Medvedev said the list could be changed depending on the state of relations with the European Union and other countries.

Putin has praised the import ban for spurring agricultural growth and says Russia is weathering other sanctions

Medvedev echoed that view, saying the agricultural sector had started to develop more dynamically because of the government support and implementation of import restrictions.

He sought to make a point by underlining that the measures had economic grounds, saying Russian producers had asked the government to maintain the embargo “as long as possible”.

US and European sanctions have all but cut off banks and companies from global financial markets and oil companies from some cooperation.

Europe’s efforts to reduce dependence on the Russian energy however have been dealt a new blow after reports that the Anglo-Dutch energy behemoth Shell was teaming up with Gazprom on several projects.

Shell as well as Germany’s E.ON and Austria’s OMV Group signed a memorandum with Gazprom to build two new Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea to Germany. They hope to ship 55 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe each year.

Russia’s countermeasure came after EU foreign ministers decided on Monday to extend sanctions against Russia for a year. The measures were taken a year ago to punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea and its alleged support for militants in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has turned to its friends, including Iran for imports of dairy products, meat and fish. Iran's Deputy Agriculture Minister Hassan Salehi had said exports of 20,000 metric tons of marine products to Russia, including canned and frozen fish and shrimps, would begin from the Iranian month of Mordad which started on July 23.

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