Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who was tasked by the President to promote Georgian wine on new markets, said on April 27 that Russia’s ban on importing Georgian wine has a positive side, as Georgia will now focus more on diversifying its foreign markets and on improving wine quality.
“I want to express my special gratitude towards Russia for banning [the import] of Georgian wine, because, firstly [due to this ban] we will be able to shift from a low level consumer market to higher level consumer markets in eastern and western Europe and the United States as well. Secondly, we will produce and sell wine with much better quality and receive more revenues,” Okruashvili said in a phone interview from Ukraine with the Rustavi 2 television.
Okruashvili downplayed Russia’s protest about his statement made on April 20 when he said: “even if you export – excuse me for this expression – feces to Russia it can be sold there.” The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Georgia’s Ambassador to Moscow on April 26 and expressed protest over Okruashvili’s, as Moscow put it, “rude statement.”
“If Russians were very upset by my statement and if they no longer want Georgian wine, let them drink just cold water, which, by the way, is of low quality,” Okruashvili said.
Some Georgian opposition parliamentarians also condemned Okruashvili’s these statements and said that it will not help improve ties between the two states.
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