Economy Ministry rejects “harmful and irresponsible” TV report alleging Russian sanctions evasion at Georgian port
With the statement, the Ministry was responding to the TV Pirveli channel’s report on Sadurday, which alleged Terminal 1 of the port had served Russian ships and enabled circumvention of sanctions placed on Russia due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.Photo: Ministry of Economy
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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”.
With the statement, the Ministry was responding to the TV Pirveli channel’s report on Sadurday, which alleged Terminal 1 of the port had served Russian ships and enabled circumvention of sanctions placed on Russia due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The services provided at the terminal did not constitute a breach or circumvention of the sanctions, the state body said, explaining the sanctions made exceptions for energy, agriculture and food, as well as humanitarian aid. The Ministry said the April 7 visit to the port of the ships involved unloading of diesel fuel, thus falling under the exceptions.
“On April 7, 2022, a Russian-flagged ship, The Loyalty, entered the berth of Terminal 1 in the port of Batumi, unloaded diesel fuel and left the port on April 12,” the statement said, adding the arrival of the vessel had taken place before the introduction of a new round of European Union sanctions on Russia.
Trade relations between the EU and Russia in the field of energy still exist, the Ministry also pointed out in its response to the report.
The official statement also said the local TV channel continued to “act harmfully and irresponsibly” and its reporting was “unchecked and dangerous” to state security. The Ministry accused the channel of conducting an “anti-Georgian campaign” with the “irresponsible” information in its reports.
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.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Thursday Georgia would not be used to circumvent sanctions imposed against Russia due to 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.
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 will not be a country where Russia will be able to bypass international sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated on Sunday, following his visit to Ukraine and meeting with the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Chair Ruslan Stefanchuk.
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.
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.
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”.
The official position of the Georgian Government on the restrictive measures imposed on Russia by the international community for its invasion of Ukraine is “in full compliance” with the stance of the latter, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili told PMs on Friday.
The Russian-flagged cargo ship that entered Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi on Monday is not subject to international sanctions, the Georgian Revenue Service announced on Tuesday.
Georgia enjoys its international partners’ “full confidence” and acts together with the international community, we can appease our opponents that there is no circumvention of the sanctions imposed by the international community against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, Levan Davitashvili, the economy minister said on Thursday addressing the parliament.