Russian Duma committee supports proposal to ban Georgian wine imports, mineral water, freeze remittances

The State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs has supported the idea of halting the import of wine and mineral waters from Georgia to the Russian Federation, as well as putting in place a ban on remittances from Russia, reports TASS.

The United Russia party first suggested the State Duma Council terminate the import of wine and waters from Georgia and to ban money transfers to the country. 

The Committee on Foreign Affairs supports the proposal, already expressed by the leadership of the United Russia party in the State Duma, to restrict the supply of products, in particular wine, mineral water and other products originating from Georgia, [as well as] to freeze [the flow of ] remittances between our countries”, said the chairman of the committee Leonid Slutsky.

Slutsky said that “this needs to be done because of the obscene statements” of the Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2 to the leadership of Russia “[which are] beyond common sense, beyond good and evil”.

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Russia continues to be the largest sender of remittances to Georgia, given the large number of Georgians living in the country. 

The latest data on money transfers show that in May 2019 Georgia received $34.80 million in remittances from Russia while in total money transfers from abroad totalled $145.8 million.