Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Georgia

Russian Minister Denies Sanctions Imposed On Georgia

Sergei Ivanov (file photo) (epa)

December 16, 2006 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has said that Russia did not impose sanctions on neighboring Georgia, but that the transport and trade blockade was commercially justified.

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December 16, 2006

In October, Moscow cut postal, rail, and air links with Georgia, stopped issuing visas to Georgians, and began deporting illegal Georgian immigrants after Tbilisi briefly arrested Russian Army officers and accused them of spying.

Speaking to foreign correspondents in Moscow on December 15, Ivanov said that Georgian airlines "owe us money," and that a ban on Georgia wine imports in place since March was due to Georgia exporting wine from other countries rebranded as its own.

Ivanov also accused Georgia of seeking war with the Russian-backed breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

(Reuters)

Russian Sanctions On Georgia

Georgian deportees arriving in Tbilisi on October 6 (epa)

RUSSIA DEPORTING GEORGIANS. Despite Georgia's release of four military officers accused of spying on October 2, Russia has continued its transport and postal blockade of Georgia, and has also deported hundreds of Georgians.... (more)

Council Of Europe Head 'Concerned' About Reports Of Russian Sanctions

EU Criticizes Russian Actions

'No Time To Send Ambiguous Messages'

Ethnic Russians Feel Insulated From Tensions

Explaining West's Muted Response To Crisis

MORE: Coverage of the situation in Georgian from RFE/RL's Georgian Service and in Russian from RFE/RL's Russian Service.

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