Georgian Foreign Ministry: decision to include Kulevi Oil Refinery in EU’s 21st sanctions package has no factual or legal grounds

The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday expressed regret over the decision to include the Kulevi Oil Refinery in the European Union’s 21st package of sanctions.

The Ministry noted that, during the preparation of the EU’s 21st sanctions package, the Georgian side provided the European Commission with comprehensive information and relevant documentation, unequivocally confirming that there are no factual or legal grounds for including the Kulevi Oil Refinery on the sanctions list.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia expresses regret over the decision to include the Kulevi Oil Refinery in the EU’s 21st sanctions package”, the statement said.

“Georgia fully takes into account the sanctions regime imposed by the European Union and its context, and is taking all measures to ensure that Georgia’s territory is not used to circumvent sanctions. Cooperation with the European Union in this regard is based on the principles of transparency and openness. As part of this cooperation, the relevant Georgian authorities continuously ensure the timely provision of all necessary information and explanations to EU institutions”, the Ministry continued.

The statement further noted that the effective work of Georgian state institutions is also evidenced by the fact that, to date, not a single case of sanctions circumvention has been recorded on the territory of Georgia.

“During the preparation of the EU’s 21st sanctions package, the Georgian side provided the European Commission with comprehensive information and relevant documentation, unequivocally confirming that there are no factual or legal grounds for including the Kulevi Oil Refinery on the sanctions list”, the Ministry said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia expressed hope that the relevant services of the European Commission and the EU member states will be guided by the principle of fairness during the six-month period stipulated by the decision and will reconsider the decision.

“Georgia remains ready to cooperate with EU institutions and share with them all necessary information,” the statement concluded.