Page 8 - GEORptJul19

Russia's Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing announced a "strengthening of control" over alcoholic drinks imported from Georgia, in a move reminiscent of a 2006 embargo on wine from the country, civil.ge informed .
The Russian market for Georgian wine, however, rebounded quickly after the previous embargo, and now accounts for over 70% of all Georgian exports, The Independent commented . Up to now, Russia has not been able to produce anything as good as Georgia's famed dry reds, but it is looking to stimulate its own wine-producing industry, and that may influence its future policy course, the daily added.
In response to Russia’s embargo, a Georgia tourism agency confirmed that it would be returning to the practice of handing out a free bottle of wine to every tourist arriving at a Georgian airport.
2.4 Courts clear the way for Saakashvili to stand in parliamentary elections
The Pechersk District Court in Kyiv ruled that ex-Georigan president and former governor of Odesa Mikheil Saakashvili can stand for election in the upcoming general election, the court said on June 20.
The Georgian-born Saakashvili has been making a new political career in Ukraine after former president Petro Poroshenko granted him citizenship and appointed him the head of the Odesa region. However, he was stripped of his Ukrainian passport after the two men had a falling out.
Now Saakashvili wants to run for office in the parliamentary elections slated for July 21, but under Ukrainian law a citizen must having been living in Ukraine for the last five years if they want to run for office, and Saakashvili has only been in Ukraine and a citizen for four.
Nevertheless the courts recognized the fact of Saakashvili's continuous residence in Ukraine for five years, which allows him to run for the job of a deputy in early parliamentary elections. The court recognised that Saakashvili had been in Ukraine from 23 February 2014 to June 6, 2019.
Saakashvili posted a video of the courtroom on Facebook . "The court made a fair decision about my ability to take part in the parliamentary elections, one more step closer to victory," he wrote.
Saakashvili studied in Ukraine in his youth as well as in New York, and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He has been living in self-imposed exile in the US since he lost his Ukrainian citizenship and can’t return to Georgia where he is wanted on corruption charges.
"I have lived in Ukraine for more than 13 years, I have been studying in Ukraine, received a diploma, had two years of service in Ukraine, took part in the Maidan and was a part of the authorities, and now I want to help President Zelenskiy with his team to fight corruption in Ukraine," he said.
8 GEORGIA Country Report July 2019 www.intellinews.com