ARMENIA, GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO CREATE A JOINT BRAND

news.az
Dec 29 2009
Azerbaijan

Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan will create a joint "Caucasian bouquet"
brand name.

New wines under this name will appear in stores as early as next year.

Artoush Lazarian, executive director of the Gumri Development Fund,
head of Armenian office of the Caucasian business and development
network, said in his interview to Business Express that the project
under financial assistance of British International Alert and the US
Embassy in Armenia is being implemented within the framework of the
Business and conflict program. The direct executors of the project
in Armenia are the Gumri Development Fund and the Armenian office of
the Caucasus Business and Development Network.

According to him, the purpose of the project is to show that the South
Caucasus is not simply a geographical area and not just a territory
of conflict, but it is also a single economic space, where successful
cooperation is quite possible. The project involved six wineries and
companies from Armenia and Georgia and five from Azerbaijan. Armenia
is represented by the Yerevan factory of sparkling wines, Voskevaz,
Ijevan and Oshakansky wineries, Van 777 and Mara. Each of these
companies has presented tens of brands of their products, and wines
were selected for the "Caucasian bouquet" among them. 17 items of
different brands of white and red wines represented by Armenia, 13
brands of Georgian winemakers and 9 brand from Azerbaijan have been
selected in the result.

"Specialists from Italy, Britain, Turkey and other countries were
invited as experts. Although the Turkish wines are not included in the
"Caucasian bouquet", Turks are full participants in the project. The
Turkish side is ready to assist in the further promotion of a new
brand in overseas markets and I admit that this step is valuable. The
expert and tasting phases of the project has completed and the wines
are selected. Now designers are busy developing labels and packaging,
creating posters and promotional leaflets. At the beginning of the
next year there is a plan to launch a series of events to be held
in the capitals of all three participating countries, as well as in
Turkey. Presentations and promotions are planned in some European
countries", said Lazarian.

However, there are still some problems. "I think there will be no
problems with the sale of Azerbaijani wines in Yerevan. But I wonder
whether Azerbaijanis would want to invite our winemakers to their
country. The fact is that, as far as I know, this country has a law
under which they are prohibited advertising and selling Armenian
goods. But the idea of Caucasian bouquet becomes senseless without
participation of the production and representatives of one of the
parties involved into the project. Therefore, we have prepared a letter
to the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan for permission for participation
of Armenian wines and winemakers in presentation events in Baku. I hope
that the Azerbaijani authorities will treat this with understanding.

Meetings of scientists, technologists and professionals of the three
countries, organized mainly in Tbilisi, were held in an atmosphere
of ease and open communication. It turned out that many scientists
and winemakers from Armenia and Azerbaijan have known each other
for a long time, since the joint study in Moscow. They were happy
to communicate with each other, they were wondering what is going
on in the field of winemaking in Armenia and Azerbaijan, what are
the problems facing Georgia’s winemakers. In short, such contacts
are always fruitful and consistent with the goals of the project:
to resume the previous working relationships, to create conditions
for a dialogue between experts of different countries", said Lazarian.