Georgia won’t impose sanctions against Russia, says Georgian PM
“We’ll harm our people if we impose sanctions against Russia,” he said at the Qatar Economic Forum.
Georgia supports Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, but will not introduce direct sanctions against Russia, said Garibashvili.
“Our trade with Russia is less than a billion dollars,” the official said.
“For comparison: the European Union trades with Russia in just four days, as much as we trade in a year. Where is the logic when we are called to introduce sanctions against Russia?”
Read also: Ukraine’s foreign ministry responds to claims of ‘interference in Georgia’s affairs’ by PM
The prime minister alleged that “some Ukrainian politicians would very much like [for a] second front” to be opened in Georgia against Russia, but this will not happen.
“Georgia is a small nation with a population of four million people, so it’s important to maintain peace, stability, and security in the country,” he said.
“My duty is to protect my people’s interests.”
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin unexpectedly lifted Russia’s visa ban for Georgian citizens on May 10 and resumed direct flights to the country.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili called Russia’s actions “another provocation.”
The Georgian Prime Minister, however, welcomed Putin’s decision to cancel visa requirements for Georgians and the resumption of flights.
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Later, Georgian Airways was granted permission to establish direct air travel with Russia.
Ukrainian presidential chief-of-staff Andriy Yermak criticized Tbilisi’s decision, calling it a “misguided stance” and saying that history will ultimately set things right.
Russia introduced a visa ban on Georgian citizens in 2000. At the same time, Russians have been able to enter Georgia without visas since 2012, following a unilateral decision by the Georgian government.
After the Russian invasion and the five-day war with the invading Russian army, Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Moscow in 2008. Direct flights between the countries were halted in 2019.
In early 2023, despite Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, proposed resuming flights with Russia, but Zurabishvili spoke against it.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Georgia has taken a neutral position, refusing to impose sanctions against Russia and provide military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, Tbilisi provides humanitarian aid and has accepted Ukrainian refugees.
However, Georgia also became a country where Russians fled to en masse after the announcement of mobilization in Russia in September 2022.
As of February 2023, Russian citizens have already opened 100,000 bank accounts in Georgia. Russians are also massively buying real estate in the country and opening businesses.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
