Kakha Kaladze Reiterates Damaging Effects of Georgia Imposing Sanctions on Russia
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, July 6, 2023
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has stated that the Georgian government has repeatedly clarified its reasons for not participating in sanctions against Russia. According to Kaladze, imposing sanctions would ultimately harm Georgia itself.
Kaladze responded to a journalist's question regarding the purpose of an interview with Michael McFall, the coordinator of the Russian sanctions group established by the President of Ukraine. He emphasized that despite external pressure and calls to join sanctions, Georgia has prioritized the interests of its own country and its people. Kaladze expressed that making a decision that is known to be harmful would not be in Georgia's best interest.
He further explained that the purpose of imposing sanctions is typically to inflict harm on another party, but in Georgia's case, it would only result in self-inflicted damage. For instance, if Georgian products were prevented from entering the Russian market, it would negatively impact the Georgian economy rather than the Russian economy. Kaladze questioned the rationale behind making such a decision when the outcome is already known to be detrimental.
"One thing is clear: there is a lot of pressure and calls to join the second front of sanctions. Despite this pressure, we have repeatedly explained our reasons for not joining the sanctions. It is explicitly stated that our primary consideration is the interests of our country and our people. We will not make a decision that we know from the outset will be harmful.
When imposing and participating in sanctions, the intention is to cause harm to someone else. I believe we all understand this. For instance, if Georgian products are barred from entering the Russian market, it will not affect the Russian economy; instead, it will harm our own economy and the citizens of our country. Why should we make such a harmful decision?" Kaladze noted.
Additionally, Kaladze highlighted that despite claims that Georgia is being used to circumvent sanctions, no concrete evidence or examples were provided. On the contrary, the sanctions group expressed gratitude to the Georgian government for its cooperation and efforts in this regard. Kaladze reiterated that Georgia will not take any action that would harm the country from various perspectives, including economically and in terms of public relations.
"Despite numerous statements suggesting that Georgia is frequently used to bypass sanctions, no concrete evidence, details, or specific examples were provided to support these claims. On the contrary, the sanctions group that visited us expressed gratitude to the Government of Georgia for its cooperation and the measures taken in this regard. I want to reiterate that we will not undertake any actions that would be detrimental to our country from various perspectives, including economic and public relations," emphasized Kaladze.
In an interview with Radio Liberty, Michael McFall, the coordinator of the Russian sanctions group established by the President of Ukraine, stated, "I believe that Prigozhin's rebellion and Putin's reaction to it are important lessons for countries that support Ukraine but fear escalation." He suggested considering the possibility that Putin might choose negotiation rather than escalation or capitulation, especially if he sees the risk of losing the war becoming a reality.
