YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will continue taking steps for the development of winemaking and shoe production fields, President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview to Russia 24 TV.

The reporter said till now Armenia was famous for its brandy, but while visiting Armenia they have discovered the Armenian wine, and jokingly asked a question to the President: “Why did you hide it from us for so long?”

The President said in response that winemaking in Armenia has a centuries-old history, and “this is not our assessment”. “During Soviet times Armenia specialized in brandy production. Over the past five years the number of farmers engaged in winegrowing increased drastically in Armenia. In addition, several our compatriots, who live abroad and work in this field, made investments in our country. In fact, today high-quality wine is being produced in Armenia. Unfortunately, the volumes are still small, but I want to note that in 2016 compared to 2014 the wine export to Russia increased by 70%”, the President said.

Coming to the shoe production, the reporter said during Soviet times Armenia was a center of shoe production and asked what programs are expected in this field. Serzh Sargsyan said during the first 8 months of this year compared to the same period of the last year the export of shoes increased by 48%. “In fact, we have a great potential in this sector, traditions, people have been maintained, and we will also develop the shoe production field. I want to inform that now special shoes are produced in Armenia for famous people, but this is not a number. I think two years later we will talk about the fact that this tradition is restored in Armenia”, Serzh Sargsyan said.