Ukraine Gate – Kyiv – June 29, 2022- US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said that the US side is studying the fact that an oil tanker carrying an unauthorized cargo has arrived at the Georgian port of Batumi.
“Of course, we are looking at this issue, this is a very important topic, everyone is following such activities, we are working with government agencies, customs and the revenue service,” she said.
“We have good cooperation according to these reports,” Deignan said.
According to the US ambassador, they will continue to closely monitor all attempts to circumvent the sanctions, and Dignan stressed the importance of the Georgian government’s serious stance in this process.
It is noteworthy that the tanker, flying the Turkish flag, was on board, weighing up to 30 thousand tons, belonging to the Russian company.
Journalists described the incident as an attempt to use Georgia to circumvent international sanctions, noting the involvement of the country’s authorities.
The Georgian government confirmed the truth of the ship’s call in the port of Batumi, noting that neither the ship nor its owner was included in the international sanctions lists, and the Ministry of Finance claims that only during the examination of documents it was found that the ship was carrying a sanctioned cargo, and as a result the tanker was deployed without allowing the shipment.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili also stated that the Georgian government will not allow any legal or natural person subject to sanctions to carry out illegal activities in the country.