Cognac Producers Protest Export Delays Caused by Obstacles at Georgia Border

Cognac producers are holding a protest in front of the Georgian embassy in Armenia, demanding an end to the prolonged detention of Armenian exporters' vehicles at the border without reason.

“A situation has developed where cargo exported from various factories is being held at the Gazi checkpoint in Georgia under the pretext of conducting inspections. We all know that Georgia is a transit country, and we see no issue with conducting inspections here,” said an export specialist from the “Proshyan” cognac factory in a conversation with reporters.

He noted that they are trying to make their voices heard through the protest in every possible way to address the problem. “We demand clarification on what basis our vehicles are being held there. There has been no explanation regarding how long the vehicles will remain there. This is not just an issue for our factory, but for all factories. They claim that there are factories whose vehicles are not held at the checkpoint; we also expect an answer to why this is happening,” he added.

The specialist mentioned that it has been about a month since their first vehicle entered the checkpoint and it is still there, yet they have not received any response from the inspection. “They can conduct ‘visual inspections,’ but not in terms of analysis, because these cargoes are not intended for their country; they are being exported to Russia and Belarus.”

Previously, 4 to 7 vehicles would be exported in a single day, but exports have now come to a halt. “In the course of a week, only 1 or 2 vehicles are being exported. This not only halts our work but also causes us financial damage,” concluded the export specialist from the “Proshyan” cognac factory.