Russia Blocks Discussion of Wine Row at CIS Summit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on April 21 that the Georgian side’s demand to discuss Russia’s ban on import of Georgian wine at the CIS Foreign Ministerial summit in Moscow was an attempt to “politicize the issue.”

Lavrov was speaking after the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the CIS in Moscow.
 
“Our colleagues decided to politicize this issue a little… I think that this will not speed up the settlement of the problem, which should be settled through a professional dialogue, basing on those facts which were submitted by the relevant structures of Russia to our Georgian and Moldovan colleagues,” Sergey Lavrov told reporters.

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze who represents Georgia at the CIS summit requested to discuss the issue at the session and described Russia’s decision to ban import of Georgian wine as politically-motivated and “unfriendly step” by Russia. He also said that Russia is using “economic leverages to mount political pressure on Georgia.”

Meanwhile, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on April 21 that Georgia’s wine industry will significantly develop despite Russia’s move.   
 
“I want to tell wine producers and wine-growers in Kakheti [eastern Georgia region famous with its vineyards] and elsewhere [in Georgia], that someone has decided to eradicate and destroy our wine, but they will fail to do so. Of course, we will face difficulties, of course, we will face problems, but if we stand together, if we work together, we will settle all the problems. There is no market that we can not gain an access to,” Saakashvili said.
 
“We will not only save our viniculture and wine industry, we will further strengthen it in the near future… Most important is not to get frightened,” the President said.