Declaration by Moldova-Vin Agricultural and Industrial Agency

"On 27 March 2007, the well-known wine crisis started between Moldova and Russia. Namely on this day, under a decision by Rospotrebnadzor, all Moldova's wine production was outlawed on the territory of Russia. It is well-known that, despite numerous oral pretensions by Rospotrebnadzor's leadership to the safety of the Moldovan wine production, set forth in different mass media bodies, neither the Moldova-Vin Agricultural and Industrial Agency nor the Moldovan wine producers have received any official document confirming the truthfulness of these pretensions so far.

While proving the goodwill and proceeding from the premise that Rospotrebnadzor, led by Mr Onishchenko, is really interested in the safety and quality of the alcoholic production on the Russian market, the Moldovan authorities, in the person of the Moldova-Vin Agency, gave Rospotrebnadzor possibility to openly inspect tens of Moldovan wine and cognac enterprises. The fact in itself is not a rule in the international trade relations, but our consent was given within a meeting of the Moldovan-Russian intergovernmental commission, so as to prove our openness in all our positions. This approach to the problem by the Moldova-Vin Agency has at its basis the spirit of the tasks given by the Russian and Moldovan presidents to the concerned departments from both countries, so as to settle this not at all simple issue as soon as possible.

Moldova-Vin ascertains that Rospotrebnadzor has used our openness to draw conclusions as regards the essence of the issue. The results of all the inspections were ordinary publications in mass media and numerous interviews by Rospotrebnadzor's leadership. The Moldovan side has eventually got no official document. Besides, during the all the above mentioned period, the danger of the Moldovan wine production for the Russian consumers have not been named in any way, from which wine and cognac producers this danger was coming or is still coming. The Moldovan side has failed to get expertise conclusions from Rospotrebnadzor as regards the extent to which all the abusive assessments of the Moldovan wine production are dictated by somebody's mercantile interests, and in which cases it is about the laboratory results of checking the standard requirements.

We no longer doubt the fact that the obstacles created by Rospotrebnadzor to the return of the Moldovan wine production to the Russian market are dictated by personal economic interests of the above structure's leadership. It is sufficient to remind that one of Mr Onishchenko's deputies is the head of the association of the participants in Russia's alcohol market. ( non-trade association Aura). Such a combination of interests arouses at least perplexity.

During 2006-2007, Moldova's wine enterprises exported their production to 45 countries. The exports to Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, the USA, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom have considerably increased. The whole rise of exports was not accompanied either by inspections on behalf of the above countries or controversial discussions in mass media, but only by the range of standards exigencies and obligations stipulated in the regulations of the international trade.

The Moldova-Vin Agricultural and Industrial Agency has sufficient materials proving that Rospotrebnadzor, in fact, blocks the competent and professional dialogue, and the assessments made by its leadership in the press as regards the security of the Moldovan wine products are biased. We unilaterally state that the quality of the Moldovan wines will no longer be established by the subjective assessments of Mr Onishchenko. Taking into account the emerged situation, the Moldova-Vin Agricultural and Industrial Agency officially states that this kind of inspections by Rospotrebnadzor are no longer welcome: they lead to a considerable damage of our country's image, compromise the international trade regulations, do not ensure their observance, and harm the Moldovan-Russian bilateral relations.

At the same time, the Moldova-Vin Agricultural and Industrial Agency hopes that the "wine polemic" between our countries will return to the legal framework, and the Moldovan wine will again reach the Russian consumers. Our optimism is nourished by more arguments, among which the high quality of the Moldovan wines and the two sides' sincere interest to overcome all the problems in the spirit of mutual trust and partnership."