Popular Georgian Mineral Water Returning To Russia

Georgia's popular Borjomi mineral water is returning to the Russian market after an absence of seven years.

Gennady Onishchenko, the chief of Russia's consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said that Borjomi has been officially reregistered and is eligible to start exports to Russia.

Borjomi is the third Georgian beverage reregistered in Russia since Rospotrebnadzor's inspectors gave initial approval last month to about 30 Georgian wineries and mineral water companies.

Russia imposed a ban on wine and mineral water imports from Georgia in 2006, citing quality concerns.

At the time, Moscow-Tbilisi ties were strained because of Georgia's increasingly closer ties with the West.

Tbilisi broke all diplomatic relations with Moscow after their August 2008 military conflict over Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS and "Moskovsky komsomolets"