Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr S. Babayeva / Ismat Abbasov, the Azerbaijani Minister for Agriculture, reported on 4 May during a press conference that most of the enterprises in Azerbaijan producing alcoholic drinks did not meet the requirements of the Azerbaijani Cabinet.
"The operation of such enterprises will be suspended," he said.
Since the beginning of 2007 the Ministry has suspended the operation of 4 enterprises (in Zagatala, Aghsu, and Tovuz regions) due to low-quality products. The licenses of 7 enterprises engaged in import of alcoholic drinks were annulled.
In compliance with the addition of the Cabinet of Ministers, an enterprise can be issued a license for production of edible ethyl alcohol (alcoholic concentrate must not drop below 80%), providing that a year's production volume reaches 100,000 decilitres), for production of cognac alcohol (from grapes) 5,000 decilitres, for rough alcohol (from grapes and other fruits) 20,000 decilitres, for vodka 100,000 decilitres, for vine (from grapes and other fruits) 20,000 decilitres.
Abbasov noted 45 enterprises producing alcoholic drinks operating in Azerbaijan.