Archil Gegenava, a representative of a major Georgian wine company, said after a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vladimir Chkhikvishvili that the Georgian government had a plan of action but did not elaborate.
Levan Koberidze, a representative of another wine company, said the meeting with the Russian diplomat was constructive.
"We discussed ways of resolving the economic problems and resuming wine supplies to Russia," he said. "We were interested not in the terms of lifting the embargo but in the ambassador's position on the issue and ways to resolve the current problem."
Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said he was certain that the country's wines would return to the Russian markets and that the foreign ministers of the two countries were currently discussing the issue.
"We will try to invite Russian wine experts to Georgia to check the quality of Georgian wines," Nogaideli said.
On March 21, Russia's chief doctor Gennady Onishchenko said he was deeply concerned over the quality of Georgian and Moldovan wines and that the country should impose a ban on imports. Citing numerous violations of health regulations, Onishchenko suspended health and hygiene permits for wine imports from Moldova and Georgia starting from March 27 until the violations are eliminated.
Hygiene authorities in Moscow have already suspended wine import permits because 60% of the wine imported from the two countries allegedly fails to meet health safety regulations and is stored without documents indicating that pesticides were used during the wine-making process.
