Armenian brandy exporters protest as Georgia hinders transit of goods

On Wednesday, brandy-producing and exporting companies staged their second protest in front of the Georgian Embassy in Yerevan against the ongoing disruptions to their exports via Georgia.

According to CivilNet, the protesters claim that Georgian authorities have been conducting inspections for the past 40 days, effectively blocking several Armenian brandy and wine producers from transporting their goods through Georgian territory via the Lars checkpoint, the only open border crossing into Russia.

The protesters held posters calling on Georgian authorities to not ‘undermine Armenian-Georgian friendship’.

Previously, representatives of several companies producing and exporting alcoholic beverages held a protest near the same embassy on 13 May. They demanded an explanation as to why their cargo was being inspected in Georgia, prohibiting the delivery of goods to other countries through Georgian territory.

According to Armenpress, the embassy subsequently held a meeting with the protesters at the time, promising that Tbilisi would make an official statement on the matter.

That same day, speaking in parliament, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan also did not rule out visiting Georgia in-person ‘to discuss the issue once again on the ground’. He noted that they had successfully resolved the issue connected to other products in the past.

‘We are actively working at the moment, discussing various scenarios and situations with our Georgian counterparts. Of course, the business community is also engaged in these discussions through their own methods and connections’, Papoyan said.

Two days later, on 15 May, Papoyan indeed announced plans to visit Georgia ‘in the coming days’ — however, as of publication, he has yet to do so.

That same day, Papoyan said some lorries exporting brandy alcohol had been released by Georgia, but that the issue remained unresolved.

‘I have to be honest here — the reasons are unclear to us. We are trying to find a solution to the issue at all levels’, Papoyan said during a press briefing.

The following day, the Georgian Revenue Service told BM.GE that ‘customs control procedures are being carried out as usual. Vehicles are not being delayed’.

In a meeting with representatives of the brandy-making industry on Monday, Papoyan assured them that ‘consistent and daily work is being carried out to resolve the issue’.

The Wednesday meeting at the embassy was fruitless too, with the protesters stating that a consul at the embassy had suggested they ‘sue the Georgians in Georgia’.

RFE/RL quoted the protesters as saying that the lorries were being inspected at Georgia’s Gezi customs terminal, which is primarily used for vehicles transporting high-risk cargo.

The protesters also said that the checks in Georgia were unprecedented and it remained unclear to them why Georgia was inspecting the quality of the goods if the product was not intended for sale in their country.

The delays affect their business, the shelves reserved for Armenian beverages are being filled with Azerbaijani products, and employees are facing the risk of layoffs, RFE/RL quoted the protesters as saying.

Gagik Makaryan, the president of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia, told reporters that the Georgian checks contradict the rules of the World Trade Organisation, and that transit goods should be able to move freely through Georgian territory.

Makaryan further suggested that Georgia might be trying to ‘please’ Azerbaijan and Turkey, two countries who heavily influence Georgia’s economy. He also raised concerns that Georgia could be attempting to promote its own brandy exports by accessing the documents of Armenian exporters, which contain commercial secrets.

‘This is economic terror against Armenian brandy production’, Makaryan said.

Russia claims Armenian strawberries and brandy ‘fail to meet regulatory standards’

Russian media have reported that a large amount of Armenian brandy, as well as a batch of Armenian strawberries, have failed to meet Russian standards. Armenian authorities have stated they have not received any official documentation from Russian authorities regarding these claims. On Wednesday, the Russian Mash Telegram channel reported that the ‘dangerous pesticide tebuconazole’ was found in a four-ton batch of strawberries exported from Armenia to Russia. The batch was selected for test

OC MediaArshaluys Barseghyan