Russia Introduces Sanctions against President of Moldova
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Monday, 26 September 2005 |
Russias Federal Customs Service stopped releasing documentary excise stamps to importers of Moldovas alcohol. This move signals, the analysts say, the undeclared war of Kremlin against intractable president of Moldova Vladimir Voronin has escalated.
First rumors about delayed release of documentary stamps were in the air in the mid.-past week. We have had no documentary stamps from Russia for a week already,? said Igor Pantya, director of Moldovas Zurbeni vin winery. I think we have stamps for a few days more. Then, we will stop the enterprise. Our entire product goes to Russia, so the work wont make sense.?
Nearly all alcohol producers in Moldova face similar problems, as 85 percent of Moldovas wine is exported to Russia. Now the stock taking for all available stamps is under way, said Georgy Kozuba, head of Moldovas Union of Wine Exporters. If the Russian Federal Tax Service doesnt resume releasing the stamps, we all will be on the verge of bankruptcy,? Kozuba specified.
The stamp release has not been stopped but become more balanced,? said Pyotr Kanygin, CEO at Vinny Mir (Wine World) Holding, adding the Federal Tax Service doesnt release stamps to all importers of CIS as the new stamps are introduced from July 1, 2006 and some companies have applied for 50 million to 100 million stamps all of a sudden.
But Kanygins supposition finds no proof on the market. For instance, the big importers of Ukrainian vodka - Nemiroff and Soyuz-Viktan ?have no problems with excise stamps.
Moreover, it seems only Moldovas importers are the sole injured party, which prompted the market players to speculate about the renewal of undeclared trade war between Russia and Moldova. The key reason is the obvious shift of Moldova towards the West coupled with the runaway from the Moscow control and the threat to end Russian military standing in Transdniestria.
But should Russia go to extremes, not only Moldova but lots of Russian enterprises would suffer losses ? half of all wine delivered by Moldova to Russia (60 percent of the countrys consumption) is bottled directly in Russia. In addition, many wineries in Moldova are actually owned by Russian business.
The experts forecast Moldova will agree to meet Moscow half-way. According to Sergey Zivenko, head of Cristall Trade and Industrial Group, once Moldova performs the tasks set before it, its wine will flow on the market of Russia. The dates depend on Moldova directly,? Zivenko pointed out.
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