Russian wines grow in price, as result of banning Moldovan and Georgian wines

In the next two months, the prices for Russian wines are expected to increase, as result of prohibition to import wines from Moldova and Georgia, the head of National Wines and Spirits Association, Pavel Shapkin stated for the “RIA Novosti” press agency. According to Mr. Shapkin, Russian wines already increased in price by 10%. The situation became more complicated due to the fact that Russia stopped importing wine raw material as well, added Shapkin. At the same time, he states, Russian importers had to start concluding contracts with Bulgarian partners, though the situation is about to grow complicated due to absence of a “proper mechanism of issuing new stamps for alcoholic beverages”. According to certain sources from the Moldovan Embassy in Moscow, the Economic Council of CIS examined at its sitting on April 28, on Moldovan part’s initiative, the issue regarding Moldovan wines prohibition, though it doesn’t give information about any taken decisions. On the Council’s sitting, the Minister of Economy and Trade, Valeriu Lazar, declared that the Russia’s decision on Moldovan wines prohibition was taken with infringements of certain trade cooperation agreements, including the intergovernmental Moldovan-Russian Agreement on Free Trade. Mr. Lazar requested from the Russians to set up for two-parties consultations and showed Moldova’s availability to submit to expertise any winery or wine product.