There are no obstacles in the way for the resumption of deliveries of Georgian mineral water to Russia, Russia’s chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko said on Tuesday.
“There are no obstacles. We are ready to go to Borjomi,” Onishchenko, who is also the head of consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, told journalists.
Russia banned imports of Georgian wines and two popular brands of mineral water in 2006 citing the poor quality of the products, a move widely condemned in Georgia as politically motivated.
Georgian winemakers and producers of Borjomi mineral water have made numerous attempts to return to the Russian market since then but have not received political support from Georgian authorities.
Russia says it needs to inspect technological processes during the production cycle and study samples of products before deciding whether to resume imports from Georgia.