Armenian brandy and brandy spirit exporters to Russia and Belarus have once again gathered outside the Georgian Embassy, alleging that Georgian authorities are hindering the passage of Armenian trucks by insisting on laboratory tests to be conducted within Georgia.

Gagik Makaryan, head of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia, emphasized that this constitutes economic sabotage against Armenia's brandy industry, as reported by Aysor.am .

Makaryan stated that Georgian officials collect exporters' documents, examine them, and gain access to commercial secrets, including which Russian companies are purchasing the products, at what prices, and the composition of the brandy.

“I suspect they are passing this information to their own brandy producers, attempting to disrupt this market and gradually take it over,” he said.

He noted that Georgia produces brandy under four brands, and Azerbaijan also manufactures brandy, albeit of lesser quality. However, it is possible that Azerbaijan is targeting Armenian brandy and viticulture through Georgia.

“Soon, grapes will need to be harvested. Imagine the dissatisfaction among farmers if they are not collected. This could lead to conflict between brandy and wine producers and grape growers,” Makaryan added.

He expressed the opinion that the Georgian Embassy will not take any action.

“But our state bodies should not remain silent; they must act decisively. They may suspect the source of the blow but probably do not want to present it at the political level,” he said.

Exporters report that since their last protest on May 13, there has been no change, and trucks continue to be stuck at the border for weeks, according to Sputnik Armenia.

“We've been in this business for 20 years, and it's the first time we've encountered such lawlessness. We expect the Georgian side to resolve this issue,” said one protest participant.

They are again demanding a meeting with the Georgian ambassador in Armenia, as the previous meeting did not yield the expected results.

According to the protesters, some businessmen continue to cross the Georgian border without any obstacles and transport their goods to Russia and Belarus.

They are convinced that their problem is economic, not political. However, if the protest at the embassy does not help, they plan to organize a demonstration near the government building as well.