US State Department Spokesperson: Georgian people, Government “stand by international community” over Ukraine
“We have seen that the Georgian people, the Government of Georgia, stand by the international community, including in important ballots at the UN, against what the Kremlin is doing in Ukraine,” Price added. Photo:PBS.org.
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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.
Price was asked about “consequences” for countries used by Russia to circumvent sanctions it is facing due to its invasion of Ukraine, after an allegation of the Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine that said Russia was creating smuggling channels for sanctioned products using Georgian territory.
The Georgian people and the Government “stand by” by the international community’s stance on the matter, and US officials have “close ties” with their Georgian counterparts, Price said in response at a briefing in White House on Monday.
I’m not in a position to substantiate or to speak to the allegation you mentioned. We’ve talked about this last week. But the people of Georgia have relatively fresh memories of what it means to be on the receiving end of Russian aggression, including Russian attempts to wrest away sovereign territory,” the State Department Spokesperson noted.
We have seen the people of Georgia, the Government of Georgia, stand with the international community, including in important votes in the UN, in opposition to what we are seeing the Kremlin undertake in Ukraine. ” Price added.
The Ministry of Finance of Georgia said on Monday the allegation of Russia creating smuggling channels for sanctioned products using Georgian territory, was “a completely baseless and absurd accusation.”
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.”
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine made the allegation of Georgian authorities allowing smuggling of sanctioned goods to the Russian Federation through the country’s territory on Monday.
The Georgian Government reaffirms its support for Ukraine not only through statements but also through actions, Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, 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.
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 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.”
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 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.
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.
Georgia has aligned with the European Union declaration condemning the atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in a number of Ukrainian towns, including Bucha.
The declaration states that the Russian authorities are responsible for the committed atrocities and are subject to the international law of occupation.
President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili on Friday strongly condemned a missile strike on a railway station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia strongly condemned on Friday the missile strike on a railway station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk that killed 50 people.
Georgia is an “important partner” of the United States in a partnership that has been “demonstrated in different ways”, the Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said during a briefing on Thursday.
The United States supports Georgia’s NATO aspirations and the country is already an important partner of the alliance, Ned Price, the Spokesperson for the Department of State, said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
Ambassador Degnan and her team at the United States Embassy in Tbilisi are committed to working with the people of Georgia in support of their Euro-Atlantic aspirations, while Degnan has the “full support” of the US Department of State, the Department’s Spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said he rejected the idea that "any representative" of the Georgian Government had issued attacks on the United States Ambassador in the country.