REUTERS
Georgia's Defense Ministry has cancelled a condition barring foreign companies from bidding at tenders for the supply of meat to that country's Armed Forces, thus opening up that market for Ukrainian meat suppliers, according to the news portal News Georgia.
Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria explained such a move by insufficient meat production in his country, adding this problem was indicated by the current supplier in a letter sent to the ministry, News Georgia reported.
"The supplier sent a letter to the ministry stating that there is a shortage of Georgian products on the market, and there are big risks from the point of view of the uninterrupted supply of the Georgian army. This is not only a matter of supply, but also of the country's security. To prevent these risks, we've taken a respective decision," Izoria said.
Read alsoUkraine, Georgia expect to double tradeSince 2015, the Georgian army has been provided exclusively with local products; it was ex-Minister of Defense Tinatin Khidasheli's initiative.
Earlier media reports said that the Georgian Defense Ministry has already concluded a contract with a Ukrainian company for the supply of meat worth $1.64 million.
Georgia became the main importer of Ukrainian pork in the first quarter of 2017. In January-March, meat shipments to Georgia accounted for about 78% of total exports. They were estimated at $2.8 million.