Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgia Says Russian Oil Shipment to Kulevi Port Complied With Sanctions
Georgia's Revenue Service said a Liberian-flagged vessel delivered crude oil to the Kulevi port from a Russian company without violating international sanctions, stressing that the vessel, its owner, and the cargo were not subject to restrictions.
In a January 12 statement, the agency said the tanker Nostos entered Kulevi on January 8 carrying 40,143 tons of crude oil for import customs clearance. The cargo was shipped from a Russian company through a foreign intermediary to a Georgian company. The Revenue Service did not name the firms involved.
The agency said sanctions screening carried out with the Maritime Transport Agency confirmed that no international sanctions applied to the vessel, its owner, or the cargo, and that the shipment entered Georgia in full compliance with legal procedures.
The Revenue Service said it conducts ongoing, coordinated checks of vessels and owners in relation to international sanctions and bars sanctioned ships from entering Georgian ports or undergoing customs procedures. It added that controls are being tightened to prevent attempts to use Georgia's customs territory to circumvent sanctions.
Vessel-tracking data from VesselFinder showed the Nostos in the Black Sea as of January 12, en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, with an expected arrival on January 13.
In a separate case, Georgia's Border Police said on January 10 that it briefly detained a Panamanian-flagged tanker for violating maritime navigation rules. The vessel had previously sailed under a Russian flag.
Kaladze Calls Criticism of Eagle Hills Project a 'Direct Attack on the State'
Georgian Dream's Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said criticism surrounding Arab investment in Georgia, including the Eagle Hills Georgia project, amounts to a direct attack on the state and is driven by forces opposed to the country's economic development.
"There is a direct attack on the state. We know what forces are fighting us, both inside and outside the country," Kaladze told journalists. "These people are not happy that the country is developing economically, that we have progress and reconstruction."
Kaladze said large-scale investment projects play a key role in economic growth and job creation, adding that misinformation is being deliberately spread about the Eagle Hills development.
"It is no coincidence that so many lies and so much filth are being spread around this project," he said.
According to the mayor, projects of this scale benefit both the broader economy and local businesses, particularly in the construction sector. He said foreign direct investment supports job creation and contributes to long-term development.
"I think society itself will assess how important the implementation of projects of this scale is for our country," Kaladze said. "They have a positive impact on economic development and are also important for Georgian companies involved in construction."
