Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili. File photoMOSCOW, April 1Georgia supports all international financial sanctions against Russia imposed due to the military operation in Ukraine, President of the Republic Salome Zurabishvili said on CNN. The head of state did not agree with the statement of the British journalist Christian Amanpour on the refusal of the Georgian government and the ruling party to support restrictive measures against Moscow.
"First of all, we support all international financial sanctions (against Russia. — Ed.), and this affects the financial sector of Georgia. At the same time, we participate in all resolutions adopted to support Ukraine", Zurabishvili said.
Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that the country would not join the financial and economic sanctions imposed by the West against Russia. According to him, this does not meet the national interests of Tbilisi. He noted that from 2013 to 2021, agricultural products worth two billion dollars were exported from Georgia to Russia, the export of other products amounted to three billion. Over the past five years, the country has received three billion dollars in income due to tourism, more than five million Russians have visited Georgia. The prime minister also recalled that about a million Georgians live in Russia, annual remittances amount to $500 million. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. According to the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at the military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and, as of March 25, they have completed the main tasks of the first stage — they have significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.