Armenia’s flower exports to Russia face ban, while brandy exports via Georgia remain unsettled

Armenia could face a ban on its export of flowers to Russia by 16 June due to Armenian flowers reportedly not meeting Russian standards. This is compounded by Georgia’s refusal to allow Armenian brandy through its territory.

On Wednesday, Russian authorities announced that they might ban the import of flowers from third countries via Armenia, starting from 16 June.

In its statement, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision, Rosselkhoznadzor, noted that the ‘temporary restrictions’ might be introduced ‘in the absence of necessary response measures and the continued detection of quarantine objects’.

‘Thirteen cases of infestation with western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande) have been detected’, the statement read. According to the agency, the issue regarded flowers from third countries, imported to Russia ‘accompanied by Armenian phytosanitary certificates’.

Rosselkhoznadzor said that there was a roughly 50% increase in 2025 in the import of cut flowers from Armenia, reaching 52 million pieces, compared to around 35 million in 2024 during the same period.

There have been repeated cases of quarantine objects being detected in other types of plant products, Rosselkhoznadzor additionally noted, adding that this ‘indicates an ineffective system of control over exported products on the part of Armenia’.

‘In this regard, a letter was sent to the Food Safety Inspectorate of Armenia with a request to take comprehensive measures and strengthen control over the supplied goods’.

On Thursday, Armenian authorities confirmed that they had received a letter from the Russian side on 3 June, the same day Russia released its statement. However, they dismissed the information that flowers imported to Armenia from third countries were being re-exported to Russia.

The spokesperson for the Armenian Food Safety Inspection Body, Anush Harutyunyan, told Armenpress that ‘the volume of flowers imported into Armenia is not large enough to allow for re-export’.

Instead, she suggested that Russia inspected infections in flower batches which are Armenian-produced, adding that the Armenian side was investigating the issue and that ‘negotiations are underway’.

Russia has previously been accused of using food-health standards as a way to exert economic pressure on countries, including Armenia, with several similar incidents taking place throughout 2024.

That year, sanctions were imposed on Armenian mineral water producer Jermuk, and Russia revealed violations in the supply of red caviar, fruits, and vegetables, and decided to temporarily limit their supply.

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

In 2023, Russia banned the import of Armenian-produced dairy products, deeming them unsafe for Russian consumers. The decision came shortly after Russia criticised Armenia’s ratification of the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute, under which Russian President Vladimir Putin is wanted.

‘Very dangerous’ situation for businesses

As Armenia faces a potential export ban on its flowers from Russia, the issue of Georgia’s obstruction of Armenian brandy exports remains unresolved. Armenian cargo continues to be subjected to inspections in Georgia, effectively preventing the delivery of goods to other countries through Georgia.

Armenian brandy-producing and exporting companies staged two protests in front of the Georgian Embassy in Yerevan in May against the ongoing disruptions to their exports, which have lasted around 50 days, according to RFE/RL.

The situation ‘gets worse’, Vahrich Minasyan, the representative of the Proshyan Wine and Brandy Factory, told the media, adding that Russian companies are already fining his factory for its failure to deliver products.

The Georgian Revenue Service claimed in mid-May that ‘customs control procedures are being carried out as usual. Vehicles are not being delayed’.

At the end of May, following the meeting at the embassy, the protesters stated that a consul at the embassy had suggested they ‘sue the Georgians in Georgia’.

On Tuesday, Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan told reporters that instead of visiting Tbilisi, the Georgian Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, David Songulashvili, would visit Yerevan on Friday bringing ‘a preliminary, so to speak, solution package’.

Papoyan also expressed his intention to ‘organise meetings in different formats on that day, [...] so that we don’t leave the room until a solution to the problem would be found’, calling the created situation ‘very dangerous’ for Armenian businesses.

Meanwhile, Papoyan refrained from commenting if the issue had a political context, only saying that he intended to find a solution to the problem.

Armenian brandy exporters protest as Georgia hinders transit of goods

Georgian authorities have been conducting inspections for the past 40 days, effectively blocking the transit of Armenian goods.

OC MediaArshaluys Barseghyan