US Sanctions Coordinator Jim O'Brien Reports Increase in Transit of Electronic Items through Georgia to Russia
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Head of the US Office of Sanctions Coordination, Jim O'Brien, spoke about the increase in the transit of electronic goods through Georgia to Russia in an interview with Voice of America.
According to O'Brien, electronic items enter Russia through third countries, and Georgia is one of the transit points. He highlighted that the transit of critical electronics through Georgia to Russia is a clear violation of the UN Charter and the basis for sanctions and export controls.
O'Brien noted that this kind of trade might look like a good business opportunity to someone in these countries, but they should know by now that it violates sanctions and could potentially contribute to the conflict in the region. He urged all involved parties to be very careful and avoid this kind of trade.
In response to the journalist's question on whether Georgia is knowingly or unknowingly supporting Russia and helping them obtain sensitive electronics, O'Brien clarified that Georgia complies with financial sanctions but the country has seen a rise in the transit of electronic goods to Russia. He further explained that this trade was legal until the end of the year when the European Union and G7 members imposed restrictions on these goods.
O'Brien expressed his hope that the businesses involved in this kind of trading will realize that it worked at one point, but it's over now, and it needs to stop. He expects the transit data to decrease quickly. The US sanctions coordinator's statements indicate that the US government is closely monitoring the situation and urging businesses to comply with the restrictions imposed by the EU and G7 members:
"I would say that in terms of financial sanctions, Georgia fulfills the sanctions very diligently. However, we have seen an increase in the transit of electronic goods from Georgia to Russia. As I mentioned at the beginning, much of this trade was legal until the end of the year, when the European Union and G7 members imposed restrictions on these goods. We expect this transit data to decrease very quickly. I hope that the businesses that have been involved in this kind of trading will realize that it worked at one point in time, which is now over, and that it needs to stop now," O'Brien stated.
