Yerevan/Mediamax/. Not Armenian, but Belarusian cognac, made of Armenian seasoned alcohols, will be bottled in Belarus.

Mediamax informs that Chairman of the Union of Armenian Winemakers Avag Harutyunyan said this in an interview to “BelGazeta”, commenting on the agreements, reached between the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and the Head of “Multi Group” Concern Gagik Tsarukyan in Yerevan.

“This project has huge potential. At the initial stages, this may make 1.5-2mln bottles a year. Now Armenia exports about 30mln half-liter bottles a year, and before the crisis, Belarus occupied the third place as to the volume of export. Up to 2mln bottles entered our country”, Avag Harutyunyan stated.

“In these cases there are two mechanisms of cooperation. One of them is transportation of cognac alcohols to Belarus and their processing and bottling in Belarus. The other variant is supply of the ready blending to Belarus and its bottling in the branch. It is not ruled out that both schemes will be used”, Avag Harutyunyan stated.

He noted that “according to the law, Armenian cognac is only the cognac, which is bottled in Armenia; all the remaining cognacs do not have the right o be called Armenian cognac”.

“One has the right to export Armenian cognac alcohols for cognac bottling in other countries. But in Belarus, not Armenian, but Belarusian cognac, made from Armenian seasoned cognac alcohols, will be bottled. But even this can be considered an image project for Belarus, since Armenian alcohols speak for themselves: this is an index of quality. You will also be able to issue production under the brands of Tsarukyan’s company, without using “Armenian cognac” expression”, Avag Harutyunyan stated.

The full text of the interview is available in Russian at:  

http://www.belgazeta.by/20100830.34/040097061/ .