PM: Western sanctions officials noted Gov’t’s “effective control” on preventing Russia sanctions evasion

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday highlighted this week’s visit of sanctions officials from the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States to the country by saying the domestic public had heard their assessments of “effective control” by the Government in not allowing circumvention of the sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. 

In comments at the Georgian Parliament to present the annual report on the work of the Government, Garibashvili said “not a single fact” had been presented to back allegations of the country being used to circumvent the sanctions.

I want to tell you that since the so-called financial sanctions were imposed [on Russia], [and] restrictions on certain products were introduced, our position has been clear. We have made it clear that Georgia will not become a place to circumvent sanctions, and that sanctioned companies and individuals will not be able to conduct unauthorised transactions, including the passage of unauthorised products involving our country”, Garibashvili told lawmakers.

• EU, UK, US sanctions officials highlight Georgian Gov’t’s “great job” in preventing circumvention of Russian sanctions in Tbilisi visit

“Accordingly, our position [...] was confirmed through the rather effective actions we have taken, and the public heard the assessments [by the Western sanctions officials]. They said that the Georgian Government exercises effective control and has created an effective system that minimises these risks”, he noted.

The Government head added the Georgian authorities had shared the information with European partners that “we have identified up to 1,300 cases [involving sanctioned goods], and we informed our European counterparts that these sanctioned products had come from their countries”.

We help our European friends prevent illegal sales and shipments of sanctioned products. So we are completely transparent in this process, we have not a single unanswered question. All questions have been answered. We are absolutely transparent. I declare with full responsibility - not a single fact has been presented to us that Georgia helped anyone avoid any sanctions. Not a single fact”, Garibashvili concluded.

EU, UK and US sanctions officials paid a visit to Georgia this week and on Wednesday highlighted they had been “convinced” that the country’s Government was “seriously” determined not to allow the circumvention of the sanctions imposed on Russia.