Blockage of Moldova’s wine exports to Russia was planned in Chisinau and was aimed at controlling exports and financial flows, Valeriu Cosarciu

Forty-five more companies in addition to the 36 could obtain authorization to export wine to Russia in December, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Valeriu Cosarciuc said in a news conference held on Saturday, after his return from Moscow, Info-Prim Neo reports. Valeriu Cosarciuc had visited Russia’s capital as head of a working group that discussed possibilities of creating favorable conditions for selling Moldovan wines products in Russia with Russian officials. “We can say with certitude that the aim of the visit was achieved,” the minister said. In the near future, we will have seven customs terminal on Russia’s territory and it would be much easier for the Moldovan producers to export wine. The opening of six more customs terminals will enable to reduce the transportation costs and the sales of wine products to Russia will rise from 3 million dollars to 6-8 million dollars a month.” The minister stated for Info-Prim Neo that the 36 companies that were allowed to export wine products to Russia will be taken out of that discriminatory monitoring regime and will be treated in the same way as the economic entities from France, Spain, Italy and other countries. It was agreed that Russia’s food safety body Rospotrebnadzor will recognize the sanitary certificates for Moldovan wine products. Asked if the problem of wine exports may have been created in Chisinau, Valeriu Cosraciuc said: “I’m sure that the blockage of Moldova’s wine exports to Russia was planned in Chisinau and was aimed at controlling exports and financial flows.” Cosarciuc expressed his confidence that the removal of the barriers to the export of wine will contribute to the improvement of the situation in the wine industry and will enable to use the stocks up, open new workplaces and obtain money to pay the debts to winegrowers. The first two customs terminals will be opened in Bryansk and Saint-Petersburg.