Georgian Agriculture Minister Mikheil Svimonishvili (InterPressNews)
April 19, 2006 -- Officials in Tbilisi today condemned a decision by the Russian parliament, the State Duma, to back a ban on wine imports from Georgia and Moldova.
Agriculture Minister Mikheil Svimonishvili said that a Duma declaration adopted on April 19 testifies to the political nature of the ban.
State Minister Kakha Bendukidze said that the Duma's move violates free trade agreements that exist between Georgia and Russia.
Givi Targamadze, the chair of the Georgian parliament's defense and security committee, in turn called the Russian vote "revolting."
Russia's consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, last month banned wine imports from Georgia and Moldova, saying the production of those two countries contained pesticides.
(Novosti Gruziya, Civil Georgia)
RFE/RL Caucasus Report
RFE/RL Caucasus Report
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