Owner of the Chivas Regal, Jameson, Ballantine`s, Ararat brands, the alcoholic beverage company Pernod Ricard is preparing to close its representative office in Russia, Kommersant learned.
As the newspaper writes with reference to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, on August 8, the Russian representative office of PRrus JSC was headed by the former Minister of Agriculture of Armenia and the former general director of the Yerevan Brandy Factory. (YBC), which is part of Pernod Ricard, Ignaty Arakelyan. The Linkedin account states that since 2018, Arakelyan is Pernod Ricard’s Director of Finance and Administration in Eastern Europe.
In the concern itself, the publication was told that the previous head of the Russian representative office had taken a different position in another region. At the same time, Arakelyan noted that PR Rus is working to stop operational activities. The publication’s sources add that almost the entire team has left the Russian office and the remaining team is likely to leave the company before the end of the summer.
In 2022, in connection with the outbreak of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, Pernod Ricard reduced the import of strong alcoholic beverages to the Russian Federation from about 14 million liters to 6.95 million liters. In the spring of 2023, the concern announced the cessation of the supply of international brands of alcohol to Russia.
According to the director of TSIFRRA Vadim Drobiz, it is dangerous to maintain a representative office in the Russian Federation against the background of international sanctions and pressure on companies that have not yet exited the Russian market, so the concern closes the office. At the same time, the expert believes, Pernod Ricard brands will be imported into the country under the parallel import scheme.
Ararat cognac produced at YBC continues to be supplied to Russia, says a Pernod Ricard representative.
Previously, the German alcoholic beverage maker Jägermeister stopped deliveries to Russia, but the company’s products were included in the list of goods allowed for parallel imports. In July, it became known that the Ministry of Industry and Trade was going to exclude the manufacturer from this list due to the claims of the Kaluga distillery “Kristall”.
Author:
Natalia Gormaleva
Source: RB
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