The passion over the sale of Azerbaijani apples in various markets of the capital does not cease. As stated by the State Service for Food Safety, the inspectors of the Service pay visits to the markets and urge the sellers of Azerbaijani apples to remove and demolish them. The Service bans the sale of Azerbaijani apples, forasmuch as it has not undergone SSFS expertise and therefore it is not duty-free.
In turn, the State Revenue Committee has spread an announcement: “Information relative to the fact of apple smuggling is not present at the moment. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, even the import of apples or other berries or vegetables for the purpose of personal usage of permitted quantity (up to 50 kilos) to the territory of the Republic is carried out under strict control. The SRC has initiated operative-investigative means to find out the details on the case.”
Deducing from the disclosure of the stalls with Azerbaijani apples in the result of the visit of SSFS and food safety expert, it becomes apparent that not the permissible quantity – 50 kilos have been imported , but more. The attitude towards these apples around the society is different: in particular, viewpoints circulate on Facebook social network as if the product of the rival country should not be sold in our country, some put the safety of the quality of those apples under doubt. SSFS has not subjected their quality to expertise yet. Some speak with irony noting that Turkish product in Armenian market is multifold, why Azerbaijani products should not be, and even ridicule the people putting the safety of the quality of Azerbaijani apples under question. In reality, the concern is about the safety, inasmuch as this agricultural product has not been expertised and secondly, if SSFS bans their sale, then they have been imported illegally. Eventually, is Azerbaijani product allowed to sell in the Republic of Armenia? To this question the Press Secretary of SRC answered: “There is no ban on any country’s production sale in Armenia.”
Asked whether any given person can legally import and realize Azerbaijani product, the Press Secretary replied: “If there is no ban, then yes.” Consequently, the results of SRC’s operative-investigative events are not yet apparent, the Press Secretary told, the information will be publicized as soon as it is in place.
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Nelly BABAYAN
