This material is part of a partnership with OC Media. You can read the original English version here.
Russia has restricted the sale of Armenian goods on major Russian e-commerce platforms Wildberries and Ozon, citing new customs requirements and demanding additional documentation from sellers. In Yerevan, officials claimed that two Armenian opposition parties are “behind” the developments related to Wildberries.
News of the restrictions emerged on 1 May.
“Due to changes in customs clearance procedures for goods imported into Russia, temporary difficulties with delivery from Armenia have arisen,” Hayk Karapetyan, head of Ozon in Armenia, wrote on Facebook.
He also stated that to prevent customers from cancelling orders due to delivery delays, “we have temporarily hidden the listings of these products from customers in Russia.”
At the same time, he noted that all goods from Armenian entrepreneurs “currently in Ozon warehouses in Russia are being sold without restrictions,” while no restrictions apply to sales within Armenia by local sellers.
Wildberries issued a separate, similar statement, noting that the changes in customs clearance rules came into effect on 20 April.
“The company is in constant dialogue with partners and relevant agencies and is closely monitoring the development of the situation,” the statement read.
Wildberries also mentioned that as part of these efforts, they held a meeting with Armenian sellers, attended by over 50 entrepreneurs, to discuss “emerging issues.” The company expressed hope for a “phased resolution of the situation.”
Shortly after the news broke, Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan blamed two unnamed opposition parties for the situation, suggesting that their supporters were “particularly happy and satisfied with this problem.”
“You have reached this point today after spending months filing complaints against Armenia to officials of other countries; we will resolve this issue soon,” Papoyan stated, adding that these people “have no place in the political life of Armenia.”
On the same day, Narek Karapetyan, nephew of the Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, was asked to comment on the possible consequences.
In their questions, journalists referred to opinions suggesting the possibility of “increased sanctions” against Armenia amid Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Armenia to participate in the 8th European Political Community (EPC) summit, which took place in Yerevan on 4 May.
During his stay in Yerevan, Zelenskyy held a one-on-one meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
