Georgia must vouch for Borjomi safety for its admission to Russian market - Onishchenko
MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax) - Borjomi mineral water will be admitted to the Russian market only if Georgia guarantees its high quality, Russian Chief Public Health official Gennady Onishchenko said on Thursday.
"We have only one political demand, i.e. quality and safety of this product. If it has appropriate quality, we will admit it," he said.
Onishchenko said there were a large number of fake products illegally sold under the Borjomi brand.
"Borjomi was sold as a medicine only at pharmacies in the former Soviet Union. Now it is sold from Cape Schmidt to Kaliningrad. Where does it come from? Dealers at the Dorogomilovsky Market offer buyers any quantity of this product, up to a truck load. Is it possible to bring such quantities of really valuable mineral water?" he wondered.
Russian sanitary authorities seized fake Borjomi mineral water at the Moscow Dorogomilovsky and Cheryomushkinsky Markets in April, Onishchenko told Interfax earlier.
He said the illegal mineral water was supplied via Belarus. Supplies across Azerbaijan were also possible.
Russia banned imports of Georgian mineral water and wine due to their inferior quality.
