Products in Spayka Trucks Waiting at Upper Lars Are Spoiling, Drivers Alarmed

The Spayka company reports that its trucks, carrying perishable agricultural products, have been stuck at the Upper Lars checkpoint for 16 days. There has been no clear response or certainty regarding the reason why customs procedures have not been completed and the cargo has not been allowed to enter the Russian Federation.

From the very first day of this issue, the company has informed the Ministry of Economy of Armenia. Since October 14, 2019, Spayka's trucks have been stopped at the Upper Lars checkpoint and have not been permitted entry into the Russian Federation. One of the trucks contains 20 tons of high-quality blue mold cheese produced in Armenia, while another carries 18 tons of grapes and 1 ton of blue mold cheese.

The cargo is undergoing customs checks, with samples taken from the cheese transported back on October 14, 2019. In an effort to expedite customs procedures, the company provided all required and additional documents, including veterinary certificates, technical specifications for blue mold cheese production, and technological schemes of production, all within a single day.

Videos depicting current production processes were also provided, as well as reports from Armenian and Russian media regarding the opening of Spayka's cheese factory, attended by Armenia's Prime Minister, government members, and ambassadors from the Russian Federation and Germany.

Blue mold cheese is a new product from Spayka, comparable in its technological specifications and quality to the best products from European cheese producers. The customs services at the Upper Lars checkpoint are imposing arbitrary barriers to the presentation and export of Armenian-produced cheese to the EAEU market, jeopardizing the implementation of supply contracts for cheese with the company's partners, the effectiveness of an investment of around 15 million euros, ongoing procurement of milk from Armenian farmers, and the free movement and trade of EAEU goods within the EAEU territory.