Irakli Garibashvili said Georgian citizens and the national economy would suffer if Tbilisi sanctions one of its main trading partners.
Doha, Qatar – Georgia’s prime minister said imposing sanctions on Russia would “destroy” Tbilisi’s economy and “harm the interests” of Georgian citizens.
Russia is one of Georgia’s main trading partners, but the two countries have long had a strained relationship.
Georgia’s annual turnover with Russia is “less than $1 billion”, Irakli Garibashvili said on Wednesday at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?” This billion dollars could not affect the Russian economy.
“In comparison: the European Union trades with Russia in just four days, as much as we trade in a year. Where is the logic when we are called upon to introduce sanctions against Russia?
He also drew comparisons between the international response to the 2008 Russo-Georgian War and the conflict in Ukraine, saying, “Has anyone imposed sanctions on Russia because of our war? No one in the world has made a formal reaction.
“Where is the logic of ‘Our war is not a war’ but in Ukraine it is.”
The August 2008 war, which lasted a few days, saw Russia invade Ukraine and eventually take control of two breakaway regions – Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Georgia, a former Soviet nation, has played a balancing act between its neighbor and its desire to join the European Union.
When Russia ordered a partial mobilization last year, thousands of unwilling men poured into Georgia in search of shelter.
Earlier this month, Tbilisi lifted a Russian flight ban following a decision from Moscow.
But the two countries have not maintained diplomatic relations since the 2008 war.
“Georgia is in an extremely difficult situation because of our geography, because of the ongoing occupation,” Garibashvili said.
While public support for Ukraine is strong in Georgia, critics of the prime minister and his ruling Kartuli Otsneba (Georgia Dream Party) party have hinted that they are pro-Russian.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and the EU condemned the flight decision, at a time when the bloc’s airspace remains closed to Russian planes in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
“This step raises concerns about Georgia’s path to the EU and its commitment to aligning itself with the EU in foreign policy,” said EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano.
In Doha, Garibashvili defended the decision to resume flights.
“We didn’t say we would stop economic relations with Russia…many countries fly with Russia,” Garibashvili said.
“This war affects us all politically. We know that today about 20% of Ukrainian territory is occupied by Russia. It is the status quo today.
“Unfortunately, we saw no signs that this war would soon end. This is the problem.”
With report by Hafsa Adil in Doha.