Georgian Gov’t dismisses reports on entry of sanctioned cargo plane as “fake”
The Georgian Economy Ministry said on Thursday that the Iranian aircraft had not been under sanctions and “regularly performs flights both in the direction of Tbilisi and other European cities”. General photo: Georgian Civil Aviation Agency
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The Georgian Economy Ministry on Thursday dismissed reports by several opposition-minded TV channels that a cargo plane under sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had entered the Georgian airspace last week.
In details over the development, the state body said an Iran Air Cargo aircraft had made a flight from Yerevan to Moscow on Sunday, spending 10 minutes in Georgian airspace.
The Ministry stressed the aircraft had not been under sanctions and “regularly performs flights both in the direction of Tbilisi and other European cities”.
Instead of spreading misinformation and damaging the reputation of the civil authorities of Georgia, the media outlets - which are mostly focused on release of trending, unspecified and purposefully false reports - could have verified the information and would have found out that the Iranian cargo company regularly performs flights to Europe”, it said.
The Ministry also noted both Georgia and Armenia were members of Eurocontrol, the European Air Navigation Safety Organisation issuing permits for the specific flight under question as well as other operations involving use of the airspaces of the two countries.
“Thus, the flight was performed in full compliance with Georgian and international regulations”, the body concluded.
The Georgian Culture Ministry on Friday dismissed the allegations as “fake” on its alleged interference in the cancellation of performances from pro-Ukraine Russian artists Andrey Makarevich and Maksim Galkin, scheduled in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi in October.
Guram Guramishvili, the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, on Wednesday dismissed reports by several opposition-minded TV channels that a ship under sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had entered the Black Sea port of Batumi.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday rejected the notion of Georgia buying oil subject to international sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, adding the country abided by the sanctions with "maximum responsibility".
The Georgian Revenue Service on Thursday rejected as “misinformation” a story aired on Mtavari Arkhi channel and a statement made by Levan Khabeishvili, a member of the United National Movement opposition party, that alleged oil had been imported in the country in circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Georgia's air navigation service provider Sakaeronavigatsia on Friday dismissed reports by several opposition-minded TV channels that a cargo plane under sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had entered the Georgian airspace last week.
The Georgian Defence Ministry on Monday dismissed reports by opposition-minded TV channels that said servicemembers were leaving the Georgian Defence Forces “en masse” as “disinformation”.