Finance Minister: authorities ensuring Russia sanctions are not circumvented through Georgia
“The public information about sanctions that has been made available by the European Union, as well as different agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan outlines what was sanctioned and what is regarded as a violation of sanctions”, Khutsishvili said. Photo: Finance Ministry
Tweet 
Share
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Monday said even though the country had not imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the country’s authorities were “making sure” its territory would not be used for circumvention of the international sanctions for the war.
Khutsishvili said domestic agencies were “strictly complying” with trade and financial sanctions imposed on the Kremlin.
He also pledged sanctioned Russian companies or vehicles would not be permitted to operate in Georgia and added Georgia was “in full compliance with all applicable sanctions” in relation to ground vehicles, sea vessels and aircraft.
“The public information about sanctions that has been made available by the European Union, as well as different agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan outlines what was sanctioned and what is regarded as a violation of sanctions”, Khutsishvili said.
He also noted differences between sanction types by saying some companies were prohibited from investments while others have been restricted from purchasing cargo, adding it was “important” to discern between sanction types.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said “no fact, or even a credible rumour” of violations of international sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine had been established on the territory of Georgia, in response to a media report that linked a sea freight shipment between Georgia’s Black Sea city of Batumi and the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Monday.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the country’s Government imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine would lead to “retaliatory measures” that would ultimately “threaten the security” of the country.
Gia Volski, the ruling Georgian Dream party MP and the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the Government imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine would lead to “counter-sanctions” that would bring “serious consequences” for the country.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili, on Wednesday, responded to the Russian Government’s decision to lift its ban on flights with Georgia and visa requirements for citizens of the country by saying that sanctioned airlines and ships would not be able to operate in Georgia, while unsanctioned ones would have an opportunity to perform direct flights.
The Revenue Service of Georgia on Monday rejected a claim by a member of the United National Movement opposition party who said rail freight from a company sanctioned for Russia's invasion of Ukraine had entered the Georgian territory from Azerbaijan last week.
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday claimed the country’s foreign partners had “no reasons for concern” about the recently resumed flights between Russia and Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday told the ongoing Qatar Economic Forum in Doha his Government’s “clear” position that airline companies sanctioned for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would not operate in Georgia.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Sunday said both banning and now resuming flights with Georgia had been “unilateral” decisions of the Russian Government and Georgia had neither influence nor “any kind of leverage” over the matter.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday said the restoration of direct flights between Russia and Georgia could “not be viewed in the same context” as situations facing other countries in their considerations with the Kremlin.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday claimed ambassadors of European Union countries had “practically demanded” from the Georgian Government to impose sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in their meeting with Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday.
The Georgian Ministry of Finance on Thursday accused media and “certain politicians” of having “misinterpreted” comments by Jim O'Brien, the Head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the United States Department of State, on the enforcement of the international community’s sanctions placed on Russia in Georgia.
Cooperation between Georgia and Japan in various fields was discussed on Thursday in a meeting between Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the newly appointed Ambassador Ishizuka Hideki.
The Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia on Tuesday said the scheduled entry of Astoria Grande, a cruise ship sailing under the flag of Palau, in Batumi port in the country’s west was free from international sanctions imposed against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.
Astoria Grande, a cruise ship that has entered Georgia’s Batumi port, has arrived in the harbour from Turkey and is free from the international sanctions imposed against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the Maritime Transport Agency of the country said on Thursday.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Guram Guramishvili on Sunday said the cruise ship Astoria Grande, which had entered Georgia’s Batumi port on Thursday, had been sailing under the Palau flag and was not sanctioned, as part of the international sanctions imposed against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, by “any country”.
The Georgian law enforcement on Monday arrested 19 demonstrators for disobeying police and petty hooliganism at a protest against the entry of a cruise ship in the country’s Black Sea city of Batumi that carried Russian citizens in a cruise organised by a Russian channel on the backdrop of Moscow’s ingoing aggression against Ukraine, the Public Defender's Office said.
Batumi City Court on Tuesday ruled to release 15 individuals from a group arrested for disobeying police at a protest against the arrival of a Russian-organised cruise in Georgia's Black Sea city of Batumi on Thursday.
Beka Davituliani, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said while Georgia was enforcing the international sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the country was not imposing bilateral sanctions as “in reality it will not harm Russia but will significantly damage Georgia”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said if his Government imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the latter’s invasion of Ukraine, the decision would lead to a “10 percent [economic] reduction in the country” and a “collapse in all directions”.
The Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia on Sunday rejected claims by the domestic Formula TV channel that Russian citizens were bypassing sanctions through Georgia, calling it “an absolute lie”.