Russia’s restrictions on certain Georgian products are a form of political blackmail intended to pressure Georgian society into believing that local businesses cannot survive without the Russian market, security expert and Gotsiridze Winery founder Andro Gotsiridze told TV-program Tsertili.
On October 10, Russian media reported that Rospotrebnadzor had temporarily banned certain products from Georgian producers, citing alleged violations of quality and safety standards. The restrictions reportedly affect wines from Teliani Valley, Tbilvino, Wineman and Askaneli Brothers, beer from Georgian Beer Company, Coca-Cola produced in Georgia and Nabeglavi mineral water. No official document detailing the decision had been published.
Gotsiridze said Russia’s market is highly politicized and warned that growing economic dependence on it threatens Georgia’s economic security. He recalled the 2006–2007 Russian embargo, arguing that it ultimately pushed Georgian winemakers to improve quality and expand into Western markets.
Russia accounts for approximately 67% of Georgia’s wine exports. In the first eight months of this year, Georgia sold $102 million worth of wine to Russia. Gotsiridze said this dependence gives Moscow a powerful political lever, unlike trade with larger European countries that have stronger security guarantees and are not facing the same risks to their sovereignty.
He urged the government to help businesses diversify rather than subsidize their entry into the Russian market. State support, he argued, should fund marketing, quality improvements and efforts to enter alternative markets. He also warned that a collapse in winemaking would affect grape growers, packaging suppliers and other related businesses.
Gotsiridze said European and US markets are harder to enter because of stricter quality requirements, but offer greater stability and more reliable payment. He rejected claims that closer integration with the EU would damage Georgian winemaking, arguing that it could instead create new financial and export opportunities.
“Russia is trying to convince Georgian citizens that developing a business without the Russian market is impossible,” he said. “The government should not help companies enter that market; it should support them in moving away from it.”
Gotsiridze concluded that Georgia should end its Russia-oriented policy and pursue a Western path economically, politically and culturally.
