Parliament Speaker: imposing sanctions on Russia would imply “risks for Georgia’s security”
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the country’s Government imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine would lead to “retaliatory measures” that would ultimately “threaten the security” of the country. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the country’s Government imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine would lead to “retaliatory measures” that would ultimately “threaten the security” of the country.
Commenting following latest calls by a part of the domestic opposition for the ruling party to impose sanctions on the Kremlin, Papuashvili said “any action” related to introduction of visa requirements, border closures and flight bans equalled sanctions and implied an “escalation” of the country’s relations with Russia.
Escalation implies that we are entering a spiral the results of which cannot be predicted in advance. So when you impose sanctions, of course it is expected that there will be counter-sanctions, it is expected that there will be retaliatory measures, which ultimately means that there will be a threat to the security of our country, the economic well-being of our country”, Papuashvili said.
“Let us remind everyone that the Russian army is stationed 30 kilometres from the capital city of Tbilisi and 500 metres from the main highway connecting western and eastern Georgia. This is the greatest military risk our country faces”, he said.
In addition, you know that there is also a great danger that Russia will move from the policy of occupation to the policy of annexation”, the Parliament official added in reference to the ongoing occupation of the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions of Georgia since the 2008 war between the two states.
Papuashvili alleged the domestic groups calling for sanctions on Russia were “actually telling us that we should take the risk and enter into an escalation with Russia, [and] therefore [face] a possible military confrontation with Russia”.
It is important [to note] that those who tell us that we should impose sanctions on Russia are not providing guarantees of security or economic security”, he also pointed out.
The Parliament Speaker added the country’s Georgian citizens “supported and shared” the policy of the ruling team, as demonstrated by “various polls” and the results of the midterm elections last month, where he said the ruling Georgian Dream party had received more votes than in the 2021 municipal elections.
Gia Volski, the ruling Georgian Dream party MP and the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the Government imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine would lead to “counter-sanctions” that would bring “serious consequences” for the country.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said imposing sanctions on family members of politicians was inconsistent with human rights standards, citing that as a legal state, Georgia could only sanction individuals who had “directly” committed criminal acts.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Saturday said the wedding of Russian citizens would not take place in Georgia, noting the family had already left the country.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday thanked the country’s Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and the police for “protecting the legislative body and maintaining public order” during March protests in Tbilisi against the bill on transparency of foreign influence.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said “no fact, or even a credible rumour” of violations of international sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine had been established on the territory of Georgia, in response to a media report that linked a sea freight shipment between Georgia’s Black Sea city of Batumi and the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Monday.
The Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia on Monday responded to a report in the Armenian media on an alleged launch of regular sea freight links between Georgia’s Black Sea city of Batumi and the Russian port of Novorossiysk last month.
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Monday said even though the country had not imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the country’s authorities were “making sure” its territory would not be used for circumvention of the international sanctions for the war.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said it was “important” that “no foreign politician or [international] body was saying the country was violating the Western sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine through the resumption of flights between Georgia and Russia.
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday claimed the country’s foreign partners had “no reasons for concern” about the recently resumed flights between Russia and Georgia.
The Political Council of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Monday said positions taken by President Salome Zourabichvili on domestic politics over the recent period were “characterised by extreme non-objectivity and political bias”, but noted the party’s stance was that it should “refrain on principle” from criticising her.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday said the restoration of direct flights between Russia and Georgia could “not be viewed in the same context” as situations facing other countries in their considerations with the Kremlin.