Russia suspends sales of Armenian wines

Russia has suspended sales of several Armenian wines and brandies in another sign of worsening trade tensions with Yerevan, the country’s consumer safety watchdog said on Monday.

Rospotrebnadzor said it had found Armenian alcohol products in Russia that did not meet mandatory requirements and ordered importers and retailers to stop selling them and pull them from circulation. The agency did not say which standards the products were accused of violating.

The restrictions apply to goods made by Vedi-Alco, the Abovyan Brandy Factory and the Shakhnazaryan Wine and Brandy House. Among the products named by the agency were Getap Vernashen semi-sweet red wine, Vedi Alco dry white wine from the Legends ARNI line, Armenian Cognac 5 Stars and seven-year-old Shakhnazaryan XO cognac.

The move follows a similar action a day earlier against Jermuk, an Armenian mineral water brand. Russian authorities imposed a full ban on its imports and sale, saying tests found excessive levels of bicarbonates, chlorides and sulfates. Rospotrebnadzor also said consumers could be misled by claims about the water’s medicinal properties, which it said could lead to ineffective treatment and worse health outcomes.

The latest restrictions come as Moscow and Yerevan have grown increasingly estranged. Russia last week also announced temporary curbs on all flower imports from Armenia or shipments transiting through the country.

Armenia has been one of Russia’s closest partners in the South Caucasus for years, but relations have deteriorated as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has moved closer to Europe. Russian officials have criticized Yerevan for what they call unfriendly steps, including Armenia’s decision to begin the process of seeking European Union membership and its recognition of the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction. The court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.

Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, has publicly attacked Pashinyan over those moves. Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, has accused Armenia of making conditions harder for Russian businesses operating there. Putin has warned Armenia to think carefully about the consequences of deeper ties with Europe and suggested that if Yerevan wanted to leave Moscow’s orbit, it should first hold a referendum on exiting the Eurasian Economic Union.

For Armenian producers, Russia remains a crucial market. The new curbs threaten more disruption for exporters already facing a series of regulatory actions that Moscow says are based on safety and quality concerns but that come at a moment of clear political strain between the two governments.