Putin opposes economic sanctions against Georgia:
‘I wouldn’t do that out of respect for the Georgian people’
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he did not support a parliamentary call to impose tough economic sanctions on Georgia. Photo: Ria Novosti.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he did not support a parliamentary call to impose tough economic sanctions on Georgia, which came after Georgian TV host insulted Putin in a live shoiw.
I wouldn’t do that because of respect for the Georgian people”, Ria Novosti cited Putin as saying.
Georgian Foreign Minister Savid Zalkaliani responded that "it is the right decision which can only be welcomed."
Relations between Moscow and Tbilisi became tense after June 20 when a Russian MP addressed a forum of politicians at the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy from the parliamentary speaker’s chair.
This was followed by anti-occupation demonstrations in Tbilisi that still continue in the Georgian capital, which have been perceived as anti-Russian protests by Moscow.
In response Russia banned flights to and from Georgia starting July 8.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has welcomed Putin's decision. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office.
The situation deteriorated after the anchor of TV channel Rustavi 2 Giorgi Gabunia insulted Putin on his live show Post Scriptum, using offensive language in Russian.
After this on Monday the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma supported the idea of imposing economic sanctions against Georgia and its chairman Leonid Slutsky said that “this needs to be done because of the obscene statements” of the Rustavi 2 to the leadership of Russia “[which are] beyond common sense, beyond good and evil”.
Earlier today, the Russian parliament unanimously backed a resolution urging the government to draw up sanctions against Georgia, which included halting the import of wine and mineral waters from Georgia to the Russian Federation and putting in place a ban on remittances from Russia.
However, Putin has not supported the idea of imposing economic sanctions on Georgia.
Putin says that those triggering anti-Russian mood in Georgia "do not know history and harm own country." Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The recent developments have resonated in Georgian political society as well.
The Head of Parliament's EU Integration Committee Tamar Khulordava said that it is in everyone’s interest to avoid “unnecessary complications” in the tense relations between Russia and Georgia.
She said it is important to find alternative markets and for Georgia to be better integrated with the European Union, “whose market has higher purchasing power, is more reliable and is not dependent on political fluctuations”.
Head of the Georgian Dream faction in parliament Gia Volski said that the government will make an announcement in the near future about what can be done to protect the country from the trap that was set by the United National Movement opposition party.
The Russian State Duma adopted a statement at a plenary session today, urging the government of Russia to impose tough economic sanctions on Georgia and halt the import of wine and mineral waters from Georgia to the Russian Federation and put in place a ban on remittances from Russia.
Gov't offers credit benefits to tourism industry
The government of Georgia is seeking to soften the impact of the Russian flight ban that started on July 8 by giving a helping hand to the tourism industry and hospitality sector of the country.
The State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs has supported the idea of halting the import of wine and mineral waters from Georgia to the Russian Federation, as well as putting in place a ban on remittances from Russia, reports TASS.
Flights between Georgia and Russia have been banned starting today following the recent decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ban on flights was announced after protesters in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi tried to storm the Georgian parliament on June 20 when a Russian MP addressed a forum of politicians at the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy from the speaker’s chair.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered his own explanation of how Georgia “engulfed” the currently Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.
Acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elizabeth Rood says that Georgia is a safe country and Russia should remove the ban on direct flights to Georgia, which came into force on July 8.
Russian citizens have held a rally in front of the Georgian parliament building today, saying that Georgians’ anti-occupation protests are justified and that they do not share the attitude of the Kremlin on many issues regarding Georgia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that the ban on direct flights to Georgia will be removed when “security threats” to Russians in Georgia are eliminated.
Head of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili says that the resignation of Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia after the June 20 rally dispersal in Tbilisi and following demonstrations would have been a betrayal of the state as the opposition had plans to overthrow the government.
The Business Ombudsman of Georgia Irakli Lekvinadze says that the main challenge that the Georgian business environment faces today is the expected ramifications of the Russian tourist embargo.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that the draft resolution of the European Georgia opposition party, which urges for additional international sanctions against Russia, is destructive and will lead to imposing economic sanctions on Georgia.
Experts of the Russian government organisation Russian Quality System (Roskachestvo) have evaluated more than 120 wines from 13 countries in the price category up to 1,000 rubles on the shelves of Russian stores and the worst results in the study were shown by Georgia.