Diplomatic incident at World Congress of Vine and Wine

The Ukrainian delegation members attending the World Congress of Vine and Wine at the Palace of the Republic in Chișinău announced they would withdraw in protest against the presence of Russian delegates and the Russian Federation's flag. After the Russian symbols and informational materials were removed, the Ukrainian delegates decided to participate in the event, except for intergovernmental meetings. Moreover, today Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Ludmila Catlabuga presented official apologies to the Ukrainian delegation.


“We apologize to the Ukrainian delegation and all participants at the World Congress of Vine and Wine for what happened with the display of the Russian Federation's flag, an aggressor state waging an illegal war in Ukraine. The Republic of Moldova believes this exhibition should not have taken place, but according to the Organization's requirements and protocol, the display of these symbols was imposed. However, at the insistence of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the National Office of Vine and Wine, we managed to correct the protocol issues so that the Ukrainian delegation could continue participating in the Congress,” Catlabuga said.


At the same time, at the Moldovan side's request, the presence of the Russian delegation was minimized, Catlabuga noted.

The World Congress of Vine and Wine is held on June 16-20 in Chișinău. The event gathers 300 experts, researchers, viticulturists, oenologists, producers, and policymakers from 51 countries.

The event is organized by the International Organization of Vine and Wine, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the National Vine and Wine Office.

This is the first time the meeting takes place in the Republic of Moldova.