Parliament EU Integration Committee Chair: Georgia has “very strong stance” on Ukraine, offers support at international organisations
The Parliament official underlined it would be “difficult” for the Ukrainian authorities to present “any evidence” of the claims as “Georgia knows what it does to support its Ukrainian friends in this difficult struggle.” Photo: 1tv.ge
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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.
Bochorishvili also responded to the allegations of Ukrainian authorities on Russia smuggling sanctioned products using Georgian territory, pointing out that it was “impossible” for such allegations to be made when there was “no evidence” of it.
The Parliament official underlined it would be “difficult” for the Ukrainian authorities to present “any evidence” of the claims as “Georgia knows what it does to support its Ukrainian friends in this difficult struggle.”
I expect that the misunderstandings in our relationship [with Ukraine] will be resolved soon. Georgia has a very strong stance on Ukraine and this stance is expressed in all international organisations. We are in very close contact with international partners on issues related to Ukraine,” she noted.
Consequently, any accusation on this issue harms the security and interests of our country. It is not advisable to speculate on similar topics and raise them when the security of our country is not fully ensured,” Bochorishvili said in reference to security challenges stemming from Russia’s ongoing occupation of two of Georgian regions since 2008.
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 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.
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 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 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.”
Defence ministers from the Black Sea coastal countries and Poland on Thursday discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine via a video call, the Turkish Defence Ministry said.
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.