Finance Minister: linking individuals associated with Russia sanctions to Georgian state “speculation”
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili said linking “any individual” associated with Western sanctions to the Georgian state was “speculation”. Photo: Ministry of Finance
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Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Friday said linking “any individual” associated with Western sanctions to the Georgian state was “speculation”, after the United States Department of State on Thursday announced sanctions on Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General of Georgia, for “influencing Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia”.
Khutsishvili said Partskhaladze had not worked in state structures for 10 years, and added domestic authorities were working to study reasons for the sanctions on Partskhaladze.
He also stressed the Government was fulfilling sanctions imposed by its Western partners on Russia, with their efforts being “implemented very effectively” across the country.
Khutsishvili was asked whether the Ministry of Finance would begin studying activities of one of the companies founded by Partskhaladze in 2022 to identify whether he was helping Russia circumvent sanctions placed on the country for its invasion of Ukraine through the company.
The Minister said the State Department had not mentioned circumvention of the sanctions through the company in its announcement, adding the US body “could not have said such a thing, because it has not happened”.
The State Department said the former Prosecutor General was being designated with the status based on a section for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy.
It said Aleksandr Onishchenko, an officer of Russia’s security agency FSB who has also been sanctioned, had “likely assisted his associate Partskhaladze in obtaining a Russian passport and possibly Russian citizenship”. The US state body added the former Georgian Prosecutor General had “fully taken on a Russian identity and routinely travels to Russia”.
Onishchenko and the FSB have leveraged Partskhaladze to influence Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia. Partskhaladze has reportedly personally profited from his FSB connection”, said the Department.
Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller on Friday also said “no sanction” imposed by the United States on an individual could change its relations with Georgia and the “strategic partnership” established between the two states over the last 30 years that was aimed for Georgia’s “full integration into the Euro-Atlantic family”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said Otar Partskhaladze - the former Prosecutor General of the country who was recently sanctioned by the United States Department of State for “influencing Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia” - had held “no connection” with state structures “for the last 10 years”.
Georgian judge Irakli Shengelia, one of four sanctioned by the United States Department of State last week, on Monday said he was going to appeal the decision in a US court.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Friday said the move by the United States Department of State to impose visa restrictions on four Georgian judges “should not become a reason for further deepening of political polarisation” in the country.
Georgian judges Levan Murusidze and Valerian Tsertsvadze on Thursday called the decision of the United States Department of State to impose travel restrictions on them for alleged corruption “unfair” and “politically grounded”.
The National Bank of Georgia on Monday restricted access to bank assets and financial transactions to Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General of the country who was last week sanctioned by the United States Department of State for alleged ties with Russia.
Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office on Tuesday rejected claims by the country’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and figures from the domestic opposition on the body’s alleged links with Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General who was sanctioned last week by the United States for “influencing Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia”, as “disinformation”
Georgian Finance Ministry on Tuesday refuted claims by the United National Movement party and "related political groups” on the body’s alleged links with Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General, who was sanctioned last week by the United States for “influencing Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia”, as “one more absurd and slanderous” misinformation.
The National Bank of Georgia on Tuesday said it had amended its regulation on compliance with the international financial sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, exempting Georgian citizens from being sanctioned without domestic court judgement.
Natia Turnava, the Acting President of the National Bank of Georgia, on Wednesday said the new amendments in the regulation on the body’s compliance with the international financial sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine were "not aimed at protection of specific names".
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday urged Natia Turnava, the Acting President of the National Bank of the country, to resign after the latter signed a decree on Tuesday that exempted Georgian citizens from being sanctioned without domestic court judgments.