Elena Panina, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, commenting on the possibility of Russia limiting imports of Czech-made products, in particular beer, noted that this is “an important symbolic signal.”
Earlier, the Kommersant newspaper reported that the Russian authorities may restrict the import of Czech-made products, in particular beer. Such a measure, according to the newspaper, is viewed by Moscow as one of the options for an asymmetric response to the expulsion of a large number of Russian diplomats from Prague.
According to Panina, in the current crisis situation “a sensitive impulse is needed that would return a sense of reality to the Czech political elites.”
“Restrictions on imports of Czech beer is an important symbolic signal showing that for anti-Russian demarches one has to, as they say in the West,“ pay the price. ”Moreover, for Czechs beer is a cult product, and the Russian market is the most important for its sale. Czech beer will not be allowed to Germany, it has enough of its own. The loss of the Russian market in this area is sensitive for the Czech economy, “Panina told RIA Novosti.
She added that “the practice of asymmetric steps is an important element of Russian diplomacy.” “At one time, decisions on Moldovan and Georgian wines had a sobering effect on Chisinau and Tbilisi. It seems that the effect will be similar in the case of Czech beer,” Panina stated.