Avag Harutyunyan, head of the Armenian Winemakers' Union, has issued a statement in response to recent claims about the alleged safety concerns of Armenian brandy on the Russian market. In an interview with ArmInfo, he addressed reports suggesting that nearly 90% of Armenian brandy sold in Russian stores poses a risk to consumers.
Harutyunyan believes that these assertions are largely politically motivated and lack any real basis. While he acknowledged certain issues among Armenian producers, he emphasized that these are being continuously addressed.
"To claim that 90% of Armenian products are unsafe is entirely unfounded. These are not the actual volumes, and it’s clear that such 'studies' stem from the current political situation," noted the head of the Winemakers' Union.
Harutyunyan also pointed out the politicized nature of the organizations that conducted these studies. He urged people not to give too much importance to these reports, assuring that there is "nothing alarming" about them.
Previously, BMG reported that, according to a study conducted by the international association "Anticounterfeit" and the Russian Union of Cognac, Spirits, and Alcohol Producers, 89% of the tested samples of Armenian brandy did not meet established standards.
In response to Armenian media inquiries about this information, the Ministry of Economy of Armenia stated that it had not yet received any official notification or information regarding the grounds for conducting such a study. Ministry representatives noted that they would revisit the discussion after reviewing the facts.
