Ministry of Finance “Categorically” Denies Sanctions Evasion
The Georgian Ministry of Finance today responded to allegations by “some media sources” that Georgia is not complying with the sanctions’ regime against Russia. The Ministry “categorically” reiterates that “since the imposition of international sanctions, our country has been fully complying with the established rules and has been strictly monitoring all types of customs operations at the border”.
The MoF statement does not specify the TV channel or programme, but allegedly refers to the report broadcast by TV Pirveli of the programme produced by the Voice of America about the transport of critical electronic items through Georgian territory to Russia, despite the sanctions regime. The Ministry of Finance says in its statement that “all products included in the list of sanctioned products, including the household electrical appliances mentioned in the story and transported through Georgia, are subject to special customs control and detailed inspection”.
The statement reads: “We declare with full responsibility that there is not a single fact of violation of international sanctions by Georgia, which is confirmed, inter alia, by the statements of the ambassadors of the European Union and the United States to the media.”
The Ministry notes that anyone making allegations about Georgia’s violation of sanctions must provide evidence. “Otherwise, it will be considered a deliberate action – spreading false information to damage the country’s reputation, which will not go without a response from our side,”- the statement reads.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczyński, speaking to journalists today at the Parliament after an event on the financial empowerment of women and girls, said that different countries contribute to the sanctions effort in different ways, adding: “… what we would like Georgia to do is to make sure that Georgia, Georgian territories, and Georgian companies are not used to circumvent our sanctions. And for the moment we have no information to the contrary”.
Also Read:
- 13/04/2023 – Georgian Minister of Finance Meets with US State Department Head of Sanctions Coordination Office
- 11/03/2023 – Sullivan Warns Zurabishvili against Aiding Russia to Evade Sanctions
- 03/02/2023 – U.S. State Department: Resumption of Flights with Russia May Entail Sanctions for Companies Involved
- 23/01/2023 – Finance Minister Says Georgia Leading in Enforcing Sanctions against Russia
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
