ArmInfo. The RA Ministry of Economy has not received any notifications from its Russian colleagues about the poor quality of Armenian cognac. This was stated by the head of the department Gevork Papoyan in an interview with the Public Television of the Republic of Armenia.
The day before, TASS, citing research conducted by the international association "Anticoraphact" and the Union of Producers of Cognac, Spirits and Alcoholic Beverages, reported that almost 90% of Armenian cognacs sold in Russian stores were unsafe. For the study, 200 samples of cognac of more than 20 brands from ten of the largest Armenian producers were purchased. The samples were purchased in stores of most Russian federal retail chains and were sent for analysis to an independent laboratory of the All-Russian Research Institute of Brewing, Soft Drinks and Wine Industry. "In 177 of them, that is, 89% - 9 out of 10 samples, violations were found, and in almost half of them, non-grape spirits were found. Meanwhile, grape spirits are what actually make a drink a cognac. And only 23 samples were found to be fully compliant with GOSTs and the legislation of the Russian Federation," the study says.
In this regard, the Anti-Counterfeit Association sent appeals to the Prosecutor General's Office, the Federal Customs Service and Rosalkogoltobakkontrol with a request to take measures for additional control over imported alcoholic products from the Republic of Armenia, given that the imported cargo passes in transit through the Republic of Georgia, and to take measures to limit the turnover of products that do not meet quality standards in wholesale and retail networks. In this regard, as Papoyan noted, if the research data corresponds to reality, then the corresponding inspection process will begin in the republic. The Minister expressed hope for the prompt receipt of a corresponding appeal from the Russian side, after which an official response will follow. "But since there is no appeal yet, there is nothing to comment on. Based on the current situation, I exclude the possibility of deliveries of low-quality cognac to the Russian market, especially in such quantities, but this does not mean completely ignoring the problem. Control mechanisms are being prepared that will be aimed at maintaining the image of Armenian cognac at a high level," the minister noted, pointing to the fact that when the cargo passes through the Russian border, Armenian cognac undergoes laboratory tests
Papoyan called on Armenian producers to purchase laboratory isotopes in Europe to conduct research in their companies. He noted that the Armenian government will most likely oblige Armenian producers to take this step already in 2025.
