ArmInfo. Former Prime Minister of Armenia, economist Hrant Bagratyan insists that the use of the word "cognac" by Armenian companies is completely legal. "There can be no Armenian cognac, just as there can be no Jermuk in Dilijan," declares RA Prime Minister N. Pashinyan. "What is he saying and to whom is he saying it? Where do these absurd ideas come from?" Bagratyan writes on his Facebook page.
During a government meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan once again expressed bewilderment at the fact that Armenian exporters are complaining that Armenian cognac is "not allowed" into the European market. The issue, Pashinyan believes, is that Armenian businesses still haven't realized that cognac can only be produced in the French region of the same name, just as champagne can only be used to refer to wine made from grapes grown and harvested in the Champagne region of France.
Meanwhile, Hrant Bagratyan points out that Cognac, Jarnac, and so on are French towns in the Charente department, in the west of the country. And the suffix "ak" indicates that they were founded by the Romans. "In this part of France, the soil is poor, and grapes suitable for good wine production don't grow. But thanks to centuries of selective breeding by a diligent and inventive French farmer, Ugni Blanc, other white grape varieties were developed. They have low alcohol content and high acidity. This variety won't make good wine, but it is the ideal product for good alcohol (since alcohol is a distillate, and wine is the result of fermentation)." So, the product "cognac" (not to be confused with the brand) has been a white grape distillate produced in the Cognac region (Charente) since 1909. Note: 1909.
Armenian cognac is also made from white grapes. But it was produced in 1887. The French appellation law of 1909 does not apply to us. Therefore, we have every right to use the word "cognac," the former prime minister notes.He is convinced that another legal act also supports our case: if a product has been used for a long time and has become ingrained in the everyday consciousness of consumers, then the consumer has the right to demand its continued use.
"For example, the use of Roquefort cheese or champagne by our producers from the former USSR is completely legal. It is not the fault of producers and consumers that trade disputes arose in the former USSR, which no longer exists. Therefore, the use of the word "cognac" by Armenian companies is also completely legal. Interestingly, in the early 2000s, one of the Armenian producers won this dispute in an international court. Another issue is that some prime ministers of the Republic of Armenia, without understanding the essence, and incapable of accepting advice, are trying to please and flatter France. Tigran Sargsyan started the process. In 2012, with his appointment, the National Assembly passed the Arbuni law. After this, the labels of bottles exported to far-flung countries began to read "Brandy" in English. The word "cognac" continued to be used on products exported to Russia and consumed in the CIS (including Armenia). Pashinyan wants to put an end to this. This creates an existential problem for an industry with a gross production volume exceeding $250 million. Therefore, despite Tigran Sargsyan and N. Pashinyan, Armenian cognac exists and has a right to exist, "Hrant Bagratyan concludes.
