Russia rejects EU call to lift sanctions on Georgia
TBILISI, Oct 3: Russia on Tuesday rejected calls from the European Union to lift economic sanctions on Georgia, saying it had cut transport links to curb a dangerous military build-up by its pro-Western neighbour.
In unusually strident remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also took a swipe at the United States, saying its support for Georgia had “stimulated” Tbilisi into taking unfriendly steps against Russia.
Russia cut rail, air and postal links with ex-Soviet Georgia in response to the arrest of four Russian soldiers on spying charges. Tbilisi released the four on Monday in what it termed a goodwill gesture.
But Moscow made it clear the spying row was just part of what it sees as a deeper dispute with Georgia, which has irked Moscow by aggressively pursuing membership of Nato and the European Union and pulling out of Russia’s orbit.
Asked at a Moscow news conference if the sanctions might soon be lifted, Lavrov replied: “Not for the time being.”
He said Georgia was channelling funds from organised crime in Russia into a slush fund to buy weapons in a massive military build-up.
The build-up was directed at the Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, said Lavrov. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to restore central control over the regions, which are backed by Moscow. “Millions of dollars are passing from Russia to Georgia at a time when Georgia is engaged in huge military build-up.
“We can only draw one conclusion: they are preparing very actively to solve militarily the conflicts on their territory.”
Georgia says it is boosting military spending to reverse years of neglect and bring its armed forces up to Nato standards. It has ruled out military action against its breakaway regions.
Lavrov spoke to foreign journalists in an attempt to address growing Western unease over Moscow’s decision to go ahead with the sanctions even after Tbilisi released the Russian servicemen.
“We do hope that Russia very, very soon lifts these sanctions because sanctions do not, particularly in this case, lead anywhere,” EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told Reuters in an interview in Tbilisi.
Russia’s state-run gas monopoly Gazprom promised to maintain vital supplies of gas to Georgia. But flights and trains from Moscow to Tbilisi were cancelled as the transport ban began to bite.
Georgian Economic Development Minister Irakly Chogovadze told Reuters the sanctions will hit the economy but he added: “We will survive.”
Ordinary Georgians were most alarmed by moves in Russia’s parliament to give ministers the power to halt money transfers to Georgia. Deputies linked the proposal explicitly to Georgia.
Almost a sixth of Georgia’s national income comes from cash sent home by relatives working in Russia, who number about one million, according to central bank estimates.
“I am very concerned — me and my family depend on the money that comes from Russia,” said Georgi, 35, who was receiving a $200 wire transfer from his parents in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don at a bank branch in central Tbilisi.
However, it was unclear how the Russian measure would be enforced, or if it would materialise at all. Georgian officials said if a ban was imposed, money transfers could be re-routed through third countries.
Russia’s parliament had said initially the measure would be put to a vote on Wednesday. But the deputy in charge of drafting the proposal said on Tuesday it was being examined by legal experts and he could not give a date for a vote.
At his news conference, Lavrov pointed out that Georgia arrested the Russian servicemen soon after a visit by Saakashvili to Washington.—Reuters
