Georgian government: War is no obstacle for exporting dairy to Russia
Monday, 7 March 2022, 13:21
Georgia's Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Otar Shamugiya, said that the export of dairy products from Georgia to Russia was an "opportunity" and that he did not consider Putin's war against Ukraine to be an obstacle.
According to European Pravda, his words are quoted by Netgazeti.
The Minister said that the export of such products to Russia is a part of market diversification. According to him, in 2020, 15 Georgian companies applied to be able to export to Russia.
He claims that since then, there has been almost no communication between Russia and Georgia on this issue, except for the exchange of documents, but a few days ago the Russian side gave a positive response to the Georgian exporters’ entry into the Russian market.
When asked directly by journalists about the political component of the decision at a time when Russia is waging an aggressive war against Ukraine, Shamugiya said that the government does not see this as a problem.
"Both the prime minister and everyone in the government have made it clear that we are in complete solidarity with Ukraine, a friendly people. Everything is clear here, and this is one point. As for trade with Russia, these relations exist and we must make separate decisions on each case, based on the interests of our citizens, entrepreneurs, and farmers," said the Minister.
Recently, it was reported that Russia has announced its intention to lift trade restrictions on Georgia, in particular as regards dairy products. The press service of the Russian regulator claims that on the weekend, despite the intensity of the Russian war against Ukraine, they held a discussion with the representatives of the veterinary services of Russia, Belarus, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
The Georgian government on Sunday spread contrary messages to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to Georgian consumers about its agreements with Russia amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. The Georgian government assured Ukraine that it has not negotiated with Russia and is not interested in entering the Russian market, as their country itself has a shortage of milk and dairy products on its own market.
However, while the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured Ukrainian diplomats of the sincerity of this position, the structure responsible for negotiations with Russia disseminated the opposite information to the Georgian media.
Earlier, the reluctance of Tbilisi officials to allow Georgian volunteers to travel to Ukraine led to the recall of the Ukrainian ambassador for consultations.
More about this in the article "Georgian government turns away from Ukraine, trying to benefit from Russian aggression".
