EU removes Georgia’s Kulevi oil terminal from 20th sanctions package against Russia, welcomes Georgia’s efforts to enforce restrictions

The European Union has decided to remove Georgia’s Kulevi oil terminal from the bloc’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia, following commitments made by the Georgian government and the port’s operator.

The decision was communicated in a letter from the EU special envoy for sanctions David O’Sullivan to Georgia’s minister of foreign affairs Maka Botchorishvili.

According to the letter, the inclusion of the Kulevi port in the sanctions package had initially been planned due to maritime shipments of Russian oil and the presence of vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet entering the port.

“This initial position has been reassessed following the positive commitments that your authorities and the port operator have taken. I welcome your commitment that Georgia will
not allow EU-sanctioned vessels to enter its ports or receive services and SOCAR’s commitments that it will conduct its activities in strict compliance with relevant EU sanctions,
including by respecting the price cap and EU’s imports bans on Russian crude oil and of refined products made from such oil. These commitments have been critical for our review of the situation and ultimately led to the non-inclusion of the Kulevi port in our 20th sanctions Package”, O’Sullivan said.

He further explained that these circumstances played a decisive role in the EU’s assessment, which ultimately resulted in the removal of the Kulevi port from the new sanctions package.

The EU special envoy noted that Brussels was closely monitoring the movements of Russia’s shadow fleet, while particular attention was also being paid to the enforcement of trade restrictions.

“We appreciate your continued efforts in this regard and request that you continue to ensure Georgia’s territory is not used for the transit or re-export of such sensitive goods to Russia”, the EU official noted.

He further proposed that European and Georgian experts hold a meeting via videoconference to exchange information on sanctions-related issues.