Georgian Foreign Minister: Kulevi port narrative once again reveals coordinated interests against Georgia

Georgian foreign minister Maka Botchorishvili on Sunday said the narrative around the Kulevi oil terminal reaffirmed the scale of interest directed against Georgia.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Botchorishvili noted that international partners had previously conducted detailed assessments of Georgia’s efforts to ensure that the country would not be used to circumvent sanctions imposed on Russia.

“We clearly remember the visits from representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union to Tbilisi, when they thoroughly examined what Georgia was doing to prevent its territory from being used to bypass sanctions”, the minister said.

She emphasised that Georgia has been highly effective in complying with sanctions, even outperforming some EU member states in enforcing the sanctions regime.

“Under these circumstances, it was difficult to understand why the Kulevi port became one of the objects considered for sanctions”, she continued.

The FM also addressed comments made by the German ambassador to Georgia regarding the port, noting that the timing of those remarks was particularly noteworthy.

The foreign minister highlighted the challenges Georgia faced in preventing the Kulevi port from being included in the sanctions package.

“There were certain difficulties in ensuring that the Kulevi port would not unfairly end up in the sanctions list. What we managed to achieve is very important for us. We have seen many instances of injustice toward our country, and this would not have been the only one. However, when it comes to a sanctions package and a Georgian port that would have been placed on the list completely unjustifiably, this was absolutely unacceptable for us”, she said.

The minister also commented on a letter by David O'Sullivan and narratives promoted by opposition media outlets and politicians.

“As a rule, the European Union consistently recognizes and confirms the efforts made by Georgia. To date, we have not heard a single complaint suggesting that we failed to fulfill our commitments or did something differently from what we promised our European partners. Therefore, everything else is speculation aimed at damaging Georgia’s image and interests”, Botchorishvili noted.

The minister argued that the narrative surrounding the Kulevi port demonstrates the existence of coordinated interests working against Georgia, involving certain actors, including representatives of the opposition, some NGOs, and even members of the media who, according to her, actively spread misinformation that could harm the country’s reputation.

Botchorishvili added that Georgia had nothing to hide and that the government was making every possible effort to ensure the country was not used to circumvent sanctions.

“No one has been able to provide a single example or fact that would support a different claim. It is important that we continue fair cooperation with our European partners to ensure that Georgia’s interests are not harmed”, the minister concluded.