New Shipments of Armenian Cognac Exported to Russia No Longer Subject to Testing

Recent days have seen a significant development regarding Armenian cognacs, produced by various esteemed factories, which are exported to Russia. The Russian side had previously halted shipments at the Lars checkpoint, taking samples to determine whether the cognacs were fake or original. Exporters were informed that the testing could take anywhere from three weeks to three months. As a result, around 60 trucks were stranded at the Lars checkpoint for over two weeks. This was reported by the newspaper «Hraparak».

The newspaper received information that unexpectedly, trucks loaded with cognac have been allowed entry into Russia. In an interview with the newspaper today, Vahan Hakobyan, an Armenian representative at the Lars checkpoint, stated that the issue has essentially been resolved, and new incoming trucks are no longer subjected to mass testing. He said, “The samples that have been tested are allowed to pass, and the new incoming trucks are not undergoing testing anymore either. However, the trucks that are waiting for testing results cannot be released until the answers come in; thus, they are waiting for the test outcomes to be able to let them through. They have promised to send these results as quickly as possible, and we are now waiting for them.” At that moment, Hakobyan noted that 47 trucks loaded with cognac were still waiting at the Lars checkpoint for their testing results.

Hakobyan emphasized that new trucks heading to Russia from Armenia are no longer subject to mass testing, explaining, “The new arrivals are now subject to selective testing, based on necessity, but not all of them are sent for testing en masse.” He also pointed out that the testing pertains only to cognacs, while other goods proceed normally without issues. “It usually takes about 2 to 3 days; once they exit Armenia, they enter Russia already cleared, with customs control completed.”