Parliament Speaker: bilateral sanctions on Russia “may lead to escalation”
The Parliament official called the position of the domestic opposition on the subject “absolutely incomprehensible”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said urging the country’s Government to impose bilateral sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine was meant “actually saying that Georgia must risk direct military confrontation with Russia”.
Papuashvili was commenting after the Russian Government on Wednesday lifted its four-year-long ban on direct flights with Georgia, which caused concerns in some sections of the domestic public and saw the European Commission urge the Georgian Government to join its sanctions on the Russian airline sector.
The Parliament official called the position of the domestic opposition on the subject “absolutely incomprehensible”.
[This] situation is about a country X that imposed sanctions against Georgia [in 2019], punished Georgian citizens, and [now] these sanctions have been lifted. How can it be possible to [use the subject to] create panic, create scandals and demand Russia sanction Georgia again?”, Papuashvili said.
“On the contrary, all existing sanctions against Georgia must be lifted, because all sanctions imposed against Georgia and its citizens are unjust, and it is important that these sanctions be lifted as soon as possible”, the Parliament official continued.
Papuashvili stressed the Georgian authorities were ensuring the sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia were respected and that the country did not become a territory where they would be bypassed.
Two principles are the main ones: Georgia ensures that our territories are not used to circumvent sanctions, and Georgia does not impose bilateral sanctions against Russia, as this may lead to an escalation of the situation, and at the end of the escalation, there may be a direct military conflict that is not in the interests of the Georgian citizens”, he concluded.
The European Union has been still trading with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, gaining up to $300 billion revenue for the country’s budget, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday while commenting on EU’s criticism over Georgia’s trade, economic and flight ties with Russia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday maintained no flights involving aircraft under international sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would be allowed in Georgia, following the Russian Government’s decision on Wednesday to lift its ban on flights with Georgia.
Peter Stano, the Spokesperson for the External Affairs of the European Union, on Thursday encouraged the Georgian Government to align with the bloc and other countries in their airline sector sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said Russian aircraft sanctioned by the international community following the country’s invasion of Ukraine would not be allowed to enter Georgian airspace, in response to the Russian Government's move on Wednesday to resume direct flights with Georgia.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Human Rights Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said Georgia “has no intention” of cooperating with Russian airline companies sanctioned by the international community for its invasion of Ukraine.
The Civil Aviation Agency of Georgia on Monday said flights between Georgia and Russia would only be carried out by airlines and aircraft not under the international sanctions placed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, following the Kremlin’s approval of a lifting of a ban on direct air connections with Georgia last week.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Monday rejected criticism by the domestic opposition and the United States Ambassador on restoration of direct flights between Georgia and Russia as “illogical”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday responded to criticism by domestic opposition and the United States Embassy over the restoration of direct flights between Georgia and Russia by pointing to the adoption of visa-free travel for Russian citizens by the former Government of Georgia following the 2008 war between the countries.
Beka Davituliani, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said while Georgia was enforcing the international sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the country was not imposing bilateral sanctions as “in reality it will not harm Russia but will significantly damage Georgia”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said if his Government imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the latter’s invasion of Ukraine, the decision would lead to a “10 percent [economic] reduction in the country” and a “collapse in all directions”.