Sanctions Coordinators Reassured by Georgia’s Efforts
Ambassador James O’Brien, Head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the US State Department, and Kumar Iyer, Director General, Economics, Science and Technology at the UK Foreign Office, held a joint press conference on June 28.
They highlighted the Georgian government’s proactive efforts to create a complex system for identifying prohibited items traded with Russia.
Kumar Iyer emphasized that their visit was specifically focused on 38 electrical equipment items. He mentioned that their mission extended beyond Georgia and included visits to other countries as well.
Ambassador O’Brien emphasized that certain brands of electronics were traded legally at the beginning of the year but became illegal for certain denominations at the end of February. As a result, there has been a gradual change in the trade dynamics of Russia’s neighboring countries.
Clarifying his earlier interview with Politico, in which he mentioned Georgia and four other countries posing a challenge in Russian sanctions circumvention, he said the United States was aware of Russia’s intentions to use various countries, including Georgia, to advance its objectives. He said the U.S. was thus actively working with Georgia and other nations with significant trade with Russia to address this concern.
Regarding the links between the resumption of flights with Russia and sanctions circumvention, Iyer mentioned that most violations occur through land routes. He emphasized the need to introduce additional mechanisms to address this issue and acknowledged the importance of thorough inspections during flights. UK official also mentioned that his country stands ready to provide expertise and build the capacity of the Georgian colleagues to further develop the mechanisms of control.
David O’Sullivan’s Press Conference
EU Sanctions Envoy David O’Sullivan held a separate briefing and expressed disappointment at Georgia’s decision not to join the sanctions against Russia.
“Georgia, of course, is not implementing the sanctions […] we are disappointed that this is not the case for a country that aspires to be a member of the European Union. Ultimately, we would like to see a high degree of alignment in foreign policy as well,” O’Sullivan noted while acknowledging the particularity of Georgia’s context.
O’Sullivan emphasized that despite Georgia’s non-participation in the sanctions, the authorities have demonstrated a “serious commitment” to preventing Georgia’s use as a platform for Russia to bust the sanctions regime. He commended the measures taken by Tbilisi to control the export of sensitive products and to remain vigilant in enforcing financial sanctions.
O’Sullivan stressed the importance of the EU-Georgian agenda at this particular point in time and expressed hope that Georgia would be welcomed as a member of the European Union. He said the sanctions should not become an irritant or obstacle to the development of their close bilateral relations, adding, “I’m happy to say that what we’ve seen in the last two days proves that this is absolutely not the case.”
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