2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Russia
n import ban of Moldovan and Georgian
wines began in late March 2006 and created a diplomatic conflict between the Republic of Moldova and Georgia on the one hand and Russia on the other. Wine trade with Russia is responsible for 80-90% of the total wine exports in both countries.
The Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia Gennadiy Onishchenko
claimed that heavy metals and pesticide
s had been found in Georgian and Moldovan wines and that they were falsified alcoholic products labeled as wines. The Russian Consumer Agency claimed that it had examined 21 sorts of Georgian wine sold in Moscow
and concluded that 85.7% did not comply with sanitary requirements. Pesticides were discovered in 60% samples of Moldovan and 44% samples of Georgian wine. However, the Moldovan side claimed that no proof was ever provided by the Russian side and that dozens of countries across the world imported Moldovan wines and none reported any problems. Moldova argued that the ban amounted to economic blackmail.
In May 2005, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili
admitted that "many [Georgian] wine producers exported falsified wine to Russia, because Russia is a market where you can sell even fecal masses
". Okruashvili also noted that the decision of Russia to ban imports of Georgian wines was He also said that Russia’s decision to ban the import of Georgian wines "was not a surprise" for Tbilisi.
No less than seven Georgian wineries were closed down after the government revision revealed that they had produced falsified wine. Production of falsified wine in Georgia was called a "big business for the last decade" in the Western press.
The ban on wine imports came at a time of worsening relations between the countries. The differences involved the Rose Revolution
and pro-NATO/pro-EU
moves in Georgia and a divergence of the Russian and Moldovan positions regarding the future of Transnistria
. A year earlier, the Russian Duma
had demanded a ban on Moldovan wine imports, because Moldova was considered to pursue anti-Russian policies.
EU's external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner
stated that the EU was worried about what she called an "embargo
" against Moldova, but the EU couldn't take any measures since Russia was not a member of the World Trade Organization
.
The president of NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Pierre Lellouche
also said, on May 5, he was deeply concerned about the Russian ban on Georgian products.
From 5 May to 6 May 2006, the Russian government also banned the import of Borjomi
and Nabeglavi
, two popular brands of Georgian mineral water.
The government claimed that it was a health hazard since it failed to meet water purity standards. The Georgian government responded by stating that the action was an expansion of the wine embargo
and a part of a political campaign to punish the country for pro-Western policies, a claim President Mikheil Saakashvili
of Georgia reiterated at the Conference on Common Vision for Common Neighborhood held in Vilnius
, Lithuania
, from May 1 to 4, and attended also by the presidents of the three Baltic states
, Poland
, Ukraine
, Moldova
, Romania
, Bulgaria
and the United States
Vice-President Richard Cheney.
As tensions heighten with Russia, the Government of Georgia is considering withdrawing from the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS), a bloc of several post-Soviet countries, a membership of which is largely unpopular within Georgia. Saakashvili said on May 2 that the government would review whether the country was benefiting from being a CIS member.
Neither the Georgian or Moldovan wines, nor the Borjomi or Nabeglavi mineral waters have been banned nor restricted in any other country besides Russia. One Russian expert has also criticized the Russian ban on "Borjomi".
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n import ban of Moldovan and Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
wines began in late March 2006 and created a diplomatic conflict between the Republic of Moldova and Georgia on the one hand and Russia on the other. Wine trade with Russia is responsible for 80-90% of the total wine exports in both countries.
The Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia Gennadiy Onishchenko
Gennadiy Onishchenko
Gennadiy Grigoryevich Onishchenko is a Russian government official.Since 1996 Onishchenko has been the Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia...
claimed that heavy metals and pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s had been found in Georgian and Moldovan wines and that they were falsified alcoholic products labeled as wines. The Russian Consumer Agency claimed that it had examined 21 sorts of Georgian wine sold in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and concluded that 85.7% did not comply with sanitary requirements. Pesticides were discovered in 60% samples of Moldovan and 44% samples of Georgian wine. However, the Moldovan side claimed that no proof was ever provided by the Russian side and that dozens of countries across the world imported Moldovan wines and none reported any problems. Moldova argued that the ban amounted to economic blackmail.
In May 2005, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili
Irakli Okruashvili
Irakli Okruashvili is a Georgian politician who had served on various important posts in the Government of Georgia under President Mikheil Saakashvili, including being the Minister of Defense from December 2004 until being dismissed in November 2006.In September 2007, Okruashvili staged a...
admitted that "many [Georgian] wine producers exported falsified wine to Russia, because Russia is a market where you can sell even fecal masses
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
". Okruashvili also noted that the decision of Russia to ban imports of Georgian wines was He also said that Russia’s decision to ban the import of Georgian wines "was not a surprise" for Tbilisi.
No less than seven Georgian wineries were closed down after the government revision revealed that they had produced falsified wine. Production of falsified wine in Georgia was called a "big business for the last decade" in the Western press.
The ban on wine imports came at a time of worsening relations between the countries. The differences involved the Rose Revolution
Rose Revolution
The "Revolution of Roses" was a change of power in Georgia in November 2003, which took place after having widespread protests over the disputed parliamentary elections...
and pro-NATO/pro-EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
moves in Georgia and a divergence of the Russian and Moldovan positions regarding the future of Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
. A year earlier, the Russian Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
had demanded a ban on Moldovan wine imports, because Moldova was considered to pursue anti-Russian policies.
EU's external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner
Benita Ferrero-Waldner
Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner is an Austrian diplomat and politician, and a member of the conservative Austrian People's Party . Ferrero-Waldner served as the Foreign Minister of Austria 2000–2004 and was the candidate of the Austrian People's Party in the Austrian presidential election, 2004, which...
stated that the EU was worried about what she called an "embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
" against Moldova, but the EU couldn't take any measures since Russia was not a member of the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
.
The president of NATO Parliamentary Assembly
NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Founded in 1955, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly serves as the consultative interparliamentary organisation for the North Atlantic Alliance. Its current President is Karl A...
Pierre Lellouche
Pierre Lellouche
Pierre Lellouche is a French politician and a member of the Union for a Popular Movement party. He is Secretary of State for Foreign Trade under the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry, Christine Lagarde. He was also the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from November 2004 to 17...
also said, on May 5, he was deeply concerned about the Russian ban on Georgian products.
From 5 May to 6 May 2006, the Russian government also banned the import of Borjomi
Borjomi
Borjomi is a resort town in south-central Georgia with a population estimated at 14,445. It is one of the districts of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region and is situated in the northwestern part of the region in the picturesque Borjomi Gorge on the eastern edge of the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park...
and Nabeglavi
Nabeglavi
Nabeghlavi is a mineral water from Georgia.It comes from the Chokhatauri region, and its chemical composition is similar to the better known Georgian Borjomi water....
, two popular brands of Georgian mineral water.
The government claimed that it was a health hazard since it failed to meet water purity standards. The Georgian government responded by stating that the action was an expansion of the wine embargo
and a part of a political campaign to punish the country for pro-Western policies, a claim President Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili is a Georgian politician, the third and current President of Georgia and leader of the United National Movement Party.Involved in the national politics since 1995, Saakashvili became president on 25 January 2004 after President Eduard Shevardnadze resigned in a November 2003...
of Georgia reiterated at the Conference on Common Vision for Common Neighborhood held in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, from May 1 to 4, and attended also by the presidents of the three Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Vice-President Richard Cheney.
As tensions heighten with Russia, the Government of Georgia is considering withdrawing from the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
(CIS), a bloc of several post-Soviet countries, a membership of which is largely unpopular within Georgia. Saakashvili said on May 2 that the government would review whether the country was benefiting from being a CIS member.
Neither the Georgian or Moldovan wines, nor the Borjomi or Nabeglavi mineral waters have been banned nor restricted in any other country besides Russia. One Russian expert has also criticized the Russian ban on "Borjomi".
See also
- 2009 Russian ban of Belarusian dairy products2009 Russian ban of Belarusian dairy productsDuring a visit of President Putin to the Belarus capital Minsk, Russia expressed interest in the privatisation of some of Belarus's major milk producers...