Georgian Parliament official: states should not allow political pressures to override national interests

Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee, said on Wednesday that the recent removal of Russian-linked billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the European Union’s sanctions list demonstrated, in his view, that states must prioritise their national interests when making decisions amid geopolitical confrontation.|

Kadagishvili made the remarks in an interview with Imedi TV while discussing the EU’s September 2026 decision to remove Usmanov and Fridman, along with another individual, from its sanctions list while extending the broader sanctions regime for three years.

“There are no permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics; there are permanent interests, and these interests always come to the forefront. In this case, it was precisely such an interest that led to these two oligarchs being removed from the EU sanctions list”, he said.

The official noted that Georgia had adopted what he described as a policy focused on protecting national interests amid geopolitical tensions.

“There are always exceptions, even during major wars and confrontations, that serve the interests of the parties involved. That is why the Georgian authorities and Georgia chose what we believe was the only correct policy when we said that, amid such geopolitical war, confrontation and turbulence, the most important thing is to protect your national interests. No matter how difficult it was to endure the criticism and attacks - both justified and unjustified - that came against the government from inside and outside the country, this policy produced results”, Kadagishvili noted.

“Today, I hope - and this is also our policy - that this war will end. Hopefully, the end of the war will create a new geopolitical situation in the world, from which Georgia will emerge stronger and unharmed, and Georgia’s interests will, of course, be significantly enhanced in every respect”, he continued.

Kadagishvili further said the recent EU decision was not an isolated example of exemptions or changes to sanctions regimes
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“These examples also show that a state cannot give in to momentary political weaknesses or allow temporary temptations to influence its decisions, because this could put the vital interests of an entire nation at extreme risk. There are many such examples. At different times, we have seen specific oil companies, banks, and various Russian goods that had been under sanctions being exempted from sanctions regimes at different periods and for various interests”, Kadagishvili said.

According to Kadagishvili, Georgia was effectively a leading state in terms of adhering to the rules governing international sanctions and had not violated those rules.