Time in Tbilisi: March 29, 2024 02:51
The Ministry of Finance of Georgia said on Monday the information on Russia creating smuggling channels for sanctioned products using Georgian territory was “a completely baseless and absurd accusation.”
The Ministry was commenting following statements by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk, who alleged the Georgian political leadership had agreed to smuggle sanctioned goods to Russia through Georgia.
From the very first days of the imposition of sanctions on the Russian Federation by the international community, Georgia has been exercising strict control over all customs checkpoints in the country and has been monitoring incoming and outgoing cargo,” the statement of the Ministry said.
The Ministry declared "with full responsibility" that “any type of goods, both military and of dual-use, as well as all the products that are included in the list of sanctions, are subject to strict customs control by the Georgian Government.”
It should be noted that all our international partners are informed about this in detail. Georgia will continue to exercise strict control in this area and share information with partners,” the statement concluded.
Georgia stands with Ukraine on the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of the country, and the Georgian Government has expressed its “strong support in all international formats”, Parliament Vice Speaker Archil Talakvadze said on Friday.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, called the statement of the Main Intelligence Division of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on Russia creating smuggling channels for sanctioned products using Georgian territory a “lie” and “unacceptable”.
The information on Russia creating smuggling channels for sanctioned products using Georgian territory is “provocation” and “false”, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP Gia Tsagareishvili said on Monday.
Georgia participates in all kinds of international financial sanctions and resolutions that have been used to support Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, President Salome Zourabichvili told CNN on Thursday.
Georgia is in full compliance with the financial sanctions imposed by the international community against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said on Thursday.
The information on Russia creating smuggling channels for sanctioned products using Georgian territory is "completely absurd and insulting", the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP and Parliament Vice Speaker Giorgi Kakhiani said on Monday.
The State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia on Tuesday urged Ukraine’s military intelligence to provide evidence of claims of secret ties between Georgian and Russian state services for organising smuggling of sanctioned goods through Georgian territory.
The United States Government is in close contact with Georgian counterparts and the latter have stood by the international community over Ukraine, Ned Price, the US State Department Spokesperson, said in response to a question over allegations of Russia smuggling sanctioned products using Georgian territory.
The statement of the Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on Russia creating smuggling channels for sanctioned products using Georgian territory is “unheard-of misinformation”, the Georgian Minister of Culture Thea Tsulukiani said on Tuesday.
Teimuraz Janjalia, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, urged Andrei Kasyanov, the Ukrainian Charge d'Affaires in Georgia, to provide evidence of alleged secret ties between Georgian and Russian state services for organising smuggling of sanctioned goods through Georgian territory during a meeting on Tuesday.
The border and customs control in Georgia are at the highest level, Levan Davitashvili, the Economy Minister, said on Wednesday in response to allegations of Ukrainian authorities on Russia smuggling sanctioned products using Georgian territory.
The Georgian authorities are waiting for evidence from the Ukrainian Government that prove the “dirty lies” on the territory of Georgia being used for smuggling sanctioned products to Russia “as soon as possible”, Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Prime Minister and Georgian Minister of Culture said on Wednesday.
Allegations of Ukrainian authorities should be dealt with “through appropriate channels”, the United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said on Wednesday regarding accusations of Ukrainian authorities on Russia smuggling sanctioned products using Georgian territory to evade international sanctions amid its invasion of Ukraine.
The Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia has “categorically” declared that “any and all cargo”, including the goods in the list of international sanctions against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, is subject to “tight customs control” by the Georgian authorities.
Georgia has a “very strong stance” on supporting Ukraine, expressed at all international organisations, Maka Bochorishvili, the Chairwoman of the Georgian Parliament’s European Union Integration Committee, said on Thursday.
The Georgian Ministry of Economy on Saturday rejected a TV report that alleged the country’s Black Sea port of Batumi had served Russian vessels in circumvention of international sanctions placed on Russia, calling the claims “harmful and irresponsible”.
The Georgian Maritime Transport Agency has rejected a TV report that alleged a Russian tanker had been provided with services in Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi in circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Georgian Railway has denied reports of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi channel about Russian energy giant Gazprom attempting to use the Georgian territory to transport products sanctioned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
British Ambassador to Georgia Mark Clayton said Georgia was “playing its part” in the package of international sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, in an interview released by Interpressnews agency on Monday.
More than 90 operations have been suspended by the Georgian customs service in the country on suspicion of violations of sanctions imposed by the international community against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, Lasha Khutsishvili, the Georgian Finance Minister said on Tuesday.
The Georgian Ministry of Finance on Friday released a statement rejecting "irresponsible and manipulative" reports by local media outlets that alleged use of the country’s transport corridor for delivering Russia's sanctioned goods to Europe.
Customs authorities in the Black Sea port of Batumi have rejected services to a freight ship sailing under the Turkish flag and carrying oil products from a company hit by the international community’s sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the Revenue Service of Georgia announced on Monday.
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Monday explained procedures undertaken by professionals at customs clearances in Black Sea ports of the country in a social media post following what he called public "speculations” on the enforcement of sanctions imposed on Russia by the international community for its invasion of Ukraine.
There is “not even a theoretical possibility” of Georgia being used to circumvent sanctions placed on Russia and Belarus since the start of the former’s invasion of Ukraine, Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili said on Monday in his rejection of TV reports on a radio transmitting device having been sent to Belarus from Georgia.