European Integration Committee does not support draft resolution of imposing sanctions on Russia

By Natalia Kochiashvili

Tuesday, September 17

Tamar Khulordava: Any move that involves the risk that Georgia will have to pay even more for Russian aggression is in principle unacceptable. © Kvirispalitra.ge

Giga Bokeria: The government that supports sanctions on Ukraine, why could it be against sanctions against Russia for its own problems? © Tabula

The draft resolution on imposing sanctions on Russia was rejected by the European Integration Committee. Members of the ruling party Georgian Dream(GD) voted against the resolution proposed by opposition party “European Georgia”.

The divergence of opinion on the resolution has grown into a verbal altercation. Giga Bokeria, one of the leaders of “European Georgia” and some of the members of GD verbally confronted each other at the sitting.

According to Tamar Khulordava, the initiative of "European Georgia" was risky and the draft text was “provocative:”

“We act in the best interest of our country and society. Any move that involves the risk that Georgia will have to pay even more for Russian aggression is in principle unacceptable. Russia is an aggressor and the aggressor should pay the price, not Georgia,” Tamar Khulordava said.

Tamar Khulordava's opinion was shared by her colleague, MP Sophio Katsarava, who called the opposition's initiative destructive: “We do not need your dictation and clamor. We have learned what your destructive task is,” Katsarava told Bokeria.

For his part, Giga Bokeria has emphasized the inconsistency of the ruling team in relation to actions towards Russia and defending state interests:

“The government that supports sanctions on Ukraine, why could it be against sanctions against Russia for its own problems, do you have an answer? Why can a government that calls for international pressure on Russia to stand up for sanctions on Ukraine, why it can oppose sanctions against Russia because of its own problems, do you have an answer?” Bokeria said.

Opposition party "European Georgia" proposed the Parliament to adopt a special resolution on the actualization of the occupation of the territories of Georgia on the international agenda. The draft resolution was prepared by party members Sergi Kapanadze and Giorgi Kandelaki. The party demands that the Government of Georgia take all necessary measures and carry out the necessary diplomatic and political work to ensure:

1. The withdrawal of the occupation forces from the occupied territories of Georgia and the requirement to comply with the ceasefire agreement reached at the 2008 EU mediation should be included in the various EU and US sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation;

2. Have the US and EU include "Otokhozoria-Tatunashvili List" in the relevant personal sanctions packages imposed on the Russian Federation;

3. The imposition of sanctions by the European Union and the United States on all companies engaged in economic activities, such as renting property of victims of ethnic cleansing, in the occupied territories of Georgia.

The ruling Georgian Dream party says that the draft resolution of the European Georgia opposition party is destructive and will lead to imposing economic sanctions on Georgia.

“The initiative by the destructive opposition, which has caused serious damage to the country when they were in power (many politicians from “European Georgia” were representatives of former ruling United National Movement) will affect Georgian citizens only. The party wants Georgian people and not Russia to pay for occupation,” Giorgi Volski of Georgian Dream said after the party meeting earlier today.

The majority's statement is described as lustration in European Georgia. Opposition lawmakers say the Georgian Dream "no longer hides pro-Russian sentiments.”