“Any and all” cargo passing through Georgia subject to “tight customs control” - Revenue Service
The state body also urged Georgian media outlets to “refrain” from airing “‘unverified content”, and confirm information with respective institutions.Photo: Bm.ge
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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.
The state agency made the statement on Wednesday in response to footage aired on the opposition-minded Formula TV and showing a column of trucks passing through the Larsi Customs Checkpoint in Georgia’s north “without transit number plates of any state”. The report claimed the transport vehicles were of military use, with their destination and purpose “unclear”.
In the response over the aired material, the Revenue Service clarified the Larsi Customs Checkpoint - a point of crossing on the Georgia-Russia border - had been crossed by 19 non-military trucks manufactured by Russia’s Kamaz company but owned by entities in Armenia, and bound for the country, within the past week.
The trucks had been registered “in full compliance” with regulations of both Georgian and international customs protocols prior to their release to the ultimate destination, the statement also said.
The state body also urged Georgian media outlets to “refrain” from airing “‘unverified content”, and confirm information with respective institutions.
On Monday, the Ministry of Finance of Georgia said the information alleged by Ukrainian authorities on Russia creating smuggling channels for sanctioned products using Georgian territory was “a completely baseless and absurd accusation.”
Georgia has been exercising “strict control over all customs checkpoints” in the country and has been monitoring incoming and outgoing cargo since the beginning of the impositions of sanctions on Russia, the statement of the Ministry said.
The Ministry declared "with full responsibility" that “any type of goods, both military and of dual-use”, including the products in the list of sanctions, were subject to the strict customs control.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, and Vice Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk, this week alleged the Georgian political leadership had agreed to smuggle sanctioned goods to Russia through Georgia.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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”.
Any type of goods, both military and dual-use, as well as all products included in the international sanctions imposed by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and individual countries on Russia and Belarus over the military aggression in Ukraine are subject to “strict customs control” in Georgia, the country’s Revenue Service said on Friday.
A prospect of sanctioned Russian products entering the European Union through Georgia is “inconceivable,” Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili said on Monday, noting “not only Georgia but also the EU has a lot of control” over preventing the scenario.
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.
Georgia’s Civil Aviation Agency on Saturday rejected as “unverified and baseless” a report by the opposition-minded Formula News outlet that claimed earlier during the day an aircraft owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Evgeny Giner had been allowed to be parked at the Tbilisi International Airport “for nearly a month now”.