Parliament official highlights Gov’t’s efforts to enforce Russia sanctions in Georgia

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the country’s authorities were doing “everything” to prevent evasion of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine through the Georgian territory.

In her remarks over the visit of the European Union Sanctions Envoy David O’Sullivanv to the country, Botchorishvili noted the Government had “repeatedly” received “positive assessments” on its efforts to ensure enforcement of the sanctions.

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The European Union pays special attention to cooperation with third countries on these issues, and this is what the visit of the envoy of the European Union to Georgia - and not only to Georgia - serves, so that the European Union can have a dialogue with its partners, consultations on how to comply with the sanctions regime on the part of third countries”, Botchorishvili said.

“We know that Georgia has a very firmly defined policy, we do everything to ensure that the evasion of sanctions does not happen through Georgia, and [...] has repeatedly received good assessments precisely because of the steps taken by state agencies. Accordingly, we will continue to cooperate with the EU institutions”, the Parliament official noted.

Botchorishvili stressed “no-one” in the EU saw Georgia as a “black hole” for sanctions evasion - a “narrative” she said was being used by a part of the domestic opposition.

Threats [of the evasion of sanctions] exist in EU countries as well, and the facts of evasion of sanctions have been revealed in many places - therefore, the EU is trying to effectively enforce the sanctions that have been imposed. This is very logical and correct”, she concluded.