Speaker on including Kulevi Oil Refinery in EU 21st sanctions package: This reveals hypocrisy entrenched in Brussels

“What we had been saying was confirmed: sanctions were not being violated at Kulevi, neither at the port nor at the plant. They could not even claim that any sanction had been violated,” said Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

According to the Speaker, including Kulevi Oil Refinery in the EU 21st sanctions package reveals hypocrisy entrenched in Brussels.

“In fact, some forces want to restrict the entrance of non-sanctioned Russian oil in Georgia but in a way not to include it in sanctions. This is an ordinary business. This plant was refining oil products. We were saying that if they wanted to restrict something, they had to include it in sanctions by saying import of oil from Russia is banned, it is sanctioned, and the Georgian government would ensure this does not happen,” he said.

Shalva Papuashvili went on to say that the British Ambassador and EU officials went door by door telling the government to force businesspersons not to import oil. In his words, the government’s response was that pressure on business was inadmissible.

“The fact is, the Georgian state has stated that it will not interfere in business in violation of the Constitution and the law, whereas Brussels has no moral qualms about interfering in business in violation of the law. At the same time, they cannot find any fault with this enterprise, which is precisely why the situation is so perplexing. This is the first case when something is and at the same time it is not. If something is violated, they would have sanctioned it without inconvenience.

This is the result of the negotiations they apparently have with this facility. They stated that they are in communication with them. Indeed, the facility had already announced that it does not intend to process Russian oil starting in August. This once again demonstrates the hypocrisy that has taken root in Brussels.

Shalva Papuashvili believes this confirms that the Georgian government ensures that the Georgian government ensures sanctions are not circumvented within the country, while Brussels is prepared, instead of imposing sanctions, to exert unlawful pressure on businesses.

The EU 21st sanctions package included Kulevi Oil Refinery with a six-month grace period before measures take effect.