Onishchenko happy with quality of Georgian alcohol so far
MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax) - Georgia has exported over 600,000 liters of alcohol and its quality has not raised any questions so far, head of the Russian consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, Gennady Onishchenko told Interfax on Tuesday.
"A total of 141 batches of alcohol products measuring 617,077 liters from six companies have arrived since shipments from Georgia resumed. 61 batches of 226,579 liters were delivered during the last week alone," the official said.
"How can I be happy at all when it concerns alcohol? But the batches being checked are all within the allowable parameters. There is the impression that they pass out products that have been accumulating for many years and are enough to spare. But everything is within the parameters determined by relevant regulations," Onishchenko said.
According to Onishchenko, 27 Georgian producers have been allowed to resume exports to Russia, 292 state registration certificates have been issued and 53 more certificates are in the process of being issued.
Six out of 27 companies permitted to resume trade have already started exporting, Onishchenko said.
"Not all Georgian producers have provided documents for the third inspection. So the question of a new shipment of our experts is not pressing at this time," he said.
"We do not see any activity from Georgia. We do not have all the documents to go for a down-sized inspection, we do not have the resources or the time," Onishchenko has said.
Russia banned wine and mineral water supplies from Georgia in 2006 due to quality control issues. In early February 2013, Russia and Georgia developed a mechanism to return Georgian products to the Russian market. Rospotrebnadzor experts are to inspect Georgian enterprises while Georgian producers have to go through a state registration process in Russia prior to resuming shipments.
Russia has re-opened the market to Georgian wines, however, a U.S. microbiology laboratory, not controlled by the Georgian authorities, continues to operate in the country, Onishchenko said. "We are forced to spend money to provide assistance to our allies - South Ossetia and Abkhazia - to enhance their healthcare capabilities in response to biological security threats, which really do exist," Onishchenko said.
