Georgia Refuses To Join Sanctions Against Russia Amid Western Pressure
On February 7, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia, stated that Georgia has not imposed and will not impose sanctions against Russia.
During his remarks, Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the authorities will not take decisions that could harm the country’s own population, even under pressure from Brussels and Washington. He emphasized, "They demanded that we impose sanctions, but we could not harm the vital interests of our citizens with our own hands".
According to the Prime Minister of Georgia, demands to join the sanctions regime have come both from Brussels and from certain representatives of the US bureaucracy. Irakli Kobakhidze emphasized that Georgia’s influence on the Russian economy is minimal, accounting for only 0.3 percent of trade turnover, while noting that possible retaliatory measures by Moscow would have caused a serious economic blow to Tbilisi and led to a double-digit decline in GDP.
He also stated that Georgia complies with international restrictions related to financial operations and the movement of goods, emphasizing that "not a single accusation of sanctions evasion has yet been confirmed."
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