MP Matikashvili: Six-month grace period for Kulevi Refinery sanctions suggests clarification is needed

“The decision to impose a six-month grace period before sanctions against the Kulevi oil refinery come into effect suggests that certain details remain to be clarified,” MP Davit Matikashvili, Chairman of the Parliamentary Procedural Issues Committee, has said.

“A private enterprise manages the Kulevi terminal. There was some focus on this issue previously, though the terminal was ultimately removed from the sanctions list. As the terminal management has maintained throughout, the facility has no connection to sanctioned oil.

We hope dialogue between the terminal’s leadership and the European Union will continue and that appropriate steps will be taken to avert these sanctions. All information to date indicates that the Kulevi terminal has had no direct involvement with sanctioned oil, a fact verified through multiple inspections.

Regarding the sanctioning of the Kulevi oil refinery specifically, a six-month window has been stipulated. We must assume there are still aspects that require further clarification. This six-month grace period exists precisely so that these sanctions may ultimately be avoided,” Matikashvili noted.

The Council of the European Union recently adopted its 21st package of restrictive measures, which includes the oil refinery located in Kulevi, with a six-month implementation delay specified before the transaction ban takes effect.