"We are currently in a state of awaiting a signal from Brussels regarding formal consultations, formal talks in any format convenient for the European Union," Likhachev said on Friday, explaining that "without a clear political signal, with no conceptual reversal in the relations between Moscow and Brussels there will certainly be no return to the same figures on the volume of trade."
Likhachev stressed that Brussels has not signaled its readiness to start talks on sanctions in the past two and a half years.
The United States, the European Union and some of their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea reunified with Russia in 2014, accusing Moscow of meddling in the internal Ukrainian conflict.
Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations and warned that the sanctions are counterproductive and undermine regional and global stability.
Likhachev said on Friday that the latest expansion of US sanctions against Russia will only have a minimal impact on the Russian economy.
