Vice PM: Ukrainian Gov’t should prove “dirty lies” on sanctioned product smuggling
Tsulukiani stressed all sanctioned goods were “subject to strict customs control” over Georgian borders. Photo: 1tv.ge
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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.
Tsulukiani said her Government would conclude the claim from Ukrainian authorities over the matter to be a “false accusation” unless evidence supporting the allegations was presented. She added the burden was on the party issuing the accusations to present proof of their claims.
We are waiting for the evidence from the Ukrainian Government and relevant services as soon as possible to substantiate the dirty lies that were voiced a couple of days ago. Otherwise, we will conclude that it is about a false accusation, to put it very mildly,” the Vice PM said.
Tsulukiani stressed all sanctioned goods were “subject to strict customs control” over Georgian borders.
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 responding to 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.
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 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 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.”
Attacks by Ukrainian authorities on Georgia have become a “campaign”, Anri Okhanashvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Wednesday in response to Ukrainian allegations of Russia smuggling sanctioned products using Georgian territory.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, said on Wednesday a “new wave” of “disinformation and provocation campaign” against Georgia on the backdrop of the war in Ukraine was expected “in the coming days”.
The Georgian side “categorically” urges the Ukrainian counterparts to present evidence of the accusation of Ukrainian officials on Russia smuggling sanctioned products using Georgian territory to avoid international sanctions amid its invasion to Ukraine, Lasha Darsalia, the Deputy Foreign Minister, said on Wednesday.
Georgia will “never allow” any sanctioned cargo to be transported through its territory, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Friday, following accusations of Ukrainian authorities on Russia smuggling products using Georgian territory to evade sanctioned imposed on it for its invasion of Ukraine.
There have been no demands from the Ukrainian authorities to their Georgian counterparts on sanctions against Russia, as Georgia is already a part of all international measures imposed on the Kremlin following its invasion of Ukraine, Parliament Vice Speaker Archil Talakvadze said in an interview released by the Georgian Public Broadcaster on Sunday.
Thea Tsulukiani, Georgia’s vice prime minister and minister of culture, sport and youth, on Friday said the decision of the security council of Ukraine to impose sanctions on family members of Georgia’s former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili should be seen as “another attempt” to involve Georgia in hostilities amid the war in Ukraine.
Irakli Beraia, the chair of the Georgian parliament’s committee on defence and security, on Friday said Oleksiy Arestovych, the Ukrainian presidential adviser, was an “absolutely unreasonable person” whose statements “lack common sense and content”.