Georgia exports almost 22 million bottles of wine to Russia
By Jamila Babayeva
Georgia has exported 21.8 million bottles of wine to Russia in 2013, the Georgian Agriculture Ministry said in its final report.
Georgia exported wine -44.7 million bottles - to 48 countries. The figure is higher by 96 percent compared to the last year's indicator, Agriculture Minister Shalva Pipia said when presenting the report.
Pipia said work is underway to settle problems with export of citrus, which appeared due to heavy snowfall and bad weather in the regions of Georgia.
"A special office was established on the initiative of the Prime Minister to deal with this issue. Exports of citrus by sea resumed recently. To date, Georgia has exported 23,000 tons of citrus," he said.
The rise in wine export is mainly linked with allowance to enter the Russian market.
Russia gradually resumed export of a number of Georgian goods in 2013, banned in 2006 on the background of deterioration in bilateral relations. Export Delivery of Georgian wine and brandy to Russian market was resumed in June.
Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbour, 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 two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.