Russia to negotiate supply of Georgian wine, sparkling water Monday
By Sabina Idayatova
Georgia and Russia are expected to mull resumption of supplies of
Georgian wine and mineral water to the Russian market. The issue is
to be considered during Monday's meeting in Moscow between a
Georgian delegation and Gennady Onishchenko, the head of
Rospotrebnadzor, which is responsible for the protection of Russian
customers.
Rospotrebnadzor banned the import of Georgian mineral water and wine in spring 2006 following the aggravation of the Georgian-Russian relations. In late 2012, Onishchenko expressed Russia's willingness to start negotiations on the resumption of Georgian goods' supply to Russia, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
"I do not see a big problem with the return of Georgian products to Russia, because Georgian winemaking has made great progress over the years," Onishchenko stressed. He did not rule out his visit to Georgia in this connection.
The Georgian delegation, which comprises members of the Agriculture Ministry and National Wine Agency, left for Moscow on Sunday for negotiations on restoring trade relations with Russia. Head of the agency Levan Davitashvili, who leads the delegation, is accompanied by the leaders of the Winemakers Association and representatives of the National Food Safety and Sanitary Service.
Davitashvili earlier said the meeting will be technical and also reminded that Rospotrebnadzor is "the agency that decides whether or not a product can enter the Russian market".
Davitashvili also confirmed the Russian side's statement that the negotiations will touch on bottled, not bulk wine, adding that the Georgian side emphasizes production of quality wines, although the risk of fraud is smaller in the bulk wine production.
"The meetings will run for two or three days. It is possible that following these meetings, the Russian side will be willing to visit Georgia and we would welcome this," Davitashvili said.
Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbor, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over the two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the breakaway regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia were recognized by six and five UN member states respectively. They are also mutually recognized by two UN non-member states and by each other.