Georgian diplomat: Borjomi could be first to return to Russia

Borjomi mineral water could be one of the first Georgian products to re-enter the Russian market after the embargo on Georgian wines and mineral water is lifted, according to newly-appointed Georgian Ambassador to Russia Erosi Kitsmarishvili.

Moscow imposed the embargo on Georgia in spring 2006—ostensibly due to falsification and health concerns—as Russia-Georgian relations deteriorated.

The Russian market accounted for around 60 percent of Borjomi sales before the embargo was imposed and the company has struggled to find other foreign markets.

A deal went through in December that sees the holding company that owns Borjomi, IDS Borjomi Group, acquire 99.9 percent of the Edelweiss L Russian mineral water company from Gazprom-affiliated companies.

Edelweiss had a 4.2 percent share in the Russian mineral water market, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant. In 2007 total mineral water sales in Russia came to USD 1.5 billion.