Gov’t agency rejects TV report on Russian tanker “assisted to circumvent sanctions” in Batumi port
“The services rendered to the tanker do not constitute a breach of sanctions or aiding a circumvention of sanctions,” the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency said. Photo: Batumi Sea Port
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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.
The Agency was responding to a report of the opposition-minded TV Pirveli channel about SVL Pride, a Russian-flagged tanker that entered the Batumi Port on Monday with a transit cargo of 5,000 tonnes of diesel fuel designated for Armenia.
The maritime body said the unloading of the product from the vessel had been carried out in “compliance with both domestic and international norms,” noting the fifth package of the European Union sanctions involving a ban on Russian-flagged vessels entering EU ports, did not apply to energy products, agriculture, food and humanitarian aid.
The services rendered to the tanker do not constitute a breach of sanctions or aiding a circumvention of sanctions,” the statement said.
The TV Pirveli report was aired earlier today and noted the Port did not explain to the reporters whether it had been used for transit purposes.
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 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”.
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.”
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”.