Prospects for Economic Cooperation Explored at Russia-Georgian Economic Forum in Moscow
According to the information shared on March 22 by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, an economic forum on “Prospects for the Development of Economic Relations between Russia and Georgia” was held in Moscow. The event was organized by the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly, headed by Leonid Kalashnikov and Dmitry Volvach, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.
The Russian state-owned news agency Tass.ru reported that during the event, Russia and Georgia started a discussion on the creation of a specialized laboratory in Georgia to certify wines according to Russian standards. “An action plan of the business council for the coming year is already being developed. First, an expert group is being formed for the certification of Georgian wineries and the creation of a specialized laboratory on the territory of Georgia for the certification of wines according to Russian standards, which will allow for the training of personnel and the elimination of secondary certification of Georgian wines in Russia,” stated Dmitry Volvach.
In addition, Volvach outlined a second initiative to remove cognac spirits from the list of products banned for import from Georgia to Russia. “Given that wine supplies from Georgia accounted for almost 29% of the total Georgian export, practical steps to implement these initiatives will have a favorable impact on the development of Russian-Georgian trade and economic relations,” he said.
The forum also highlighted the increase in Russian-Georgian trade in 2022. According to the deputy minister, Russian entrepreneurs are showing a growing interest in cooperation with Georgia. In early February, Expocentre hosted the first founding meeting of the Russian-Georgian Business Council as part of the Prodexpo 2023 exhibition. The parties agreed to develop a plan of joint business events for the coming year and to approve a list of priority tasks for establishing a bilateral dialogue and coordinating the efforts of Russian entrepreneurs to enter the Georgian market.
Dmitry Volvach noted that while modernizing the Upper Lars checkpoint is significant in developing bilateral trade and economic relations, “one of the drivers of bilateral cooperation between our countries could be the development of tourism.” “Our experts are ready to start developing a plan of action for the tourism industry shortly. However, the priority is the resumption of flights, as well as ensuring the safety of Russian citizens,” he said.
There is currently no information available about the participants from the Georgian side in the forum. The National Wine Agency of Georgia told Civil.ge that they have no information on the opening of a laboratory in Georgia for wine certification. Civil.ge has also asked the Administration of the Government of Georgia and the Ministry of Economy for comments and will update the news accordingly.
Also Read:
- 22/02/2023 – TI Georgia: Georgia’s Economic Dependence on Russia Increased in 2022
- 03/02/2023 – U.S. State Department: Resumption of Flights with Russia May Entail Sanctions for Companies Involved
- 20/01/2023 – President Zurabishvili: Flights with Russia “Not Welcome”
- 18/01/2023 – FM Lavrov Fields Question from Ultra-right Alt-Info, Compliments Georgian Government
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
