Onishchenko: Georgian wine could control some 4% of Russian alcohol market

06.02.2013 (Hvino News) Georgian wine imports will account for an insignificant part of the Russian market for alcoholic beverages after these deliveries are resumed, Gennady Onishchenko, head of the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor and Russia's chief epidemiologist, told Russian agency Interfax on Tuesday.

"This step could be crucial for them [Georgia], but it is not the most important thing for us. [Georgian wine imports] will account for around 4% of the market. They used to control 4% of our market at the most. But these 4% do not mean that much to us," he said.

Onishchenko and Georgian officials agreed upon a mechanism for re-opening access to the Russian market for Georgian wine and mineral water at a meeting in Moscow on Monday.

Onishchenko said that imports of Georgian wine and mineral water to Russia could be resumed in spring if Georgia agreed to meet all conditions.

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