We, like all other companies, are obliged to comply with the decisions made by the government of Georgia - adding me or the airline Georgian Airways to the list of those sanctioned by Ukraine is absurd and unfair, Tamaz Gaiashvili, head of flight service of Georgian Airways, says in a statement.

According to him, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was misled.

"Today's decision of the President of Ukraine did not surprise me. I am surprised by the orchestrated joy of the opposition-minded groups, with which they welcome the reproach at Georgian national companies from the outside. Unfortunately, the struggle to come to power is taking extremely radical forms. They go to any lengths to somehow to overthrow the government and find themselves at the head of the country. On the way to their unhealthy goal, they manage to mislead the President of Ukraine.

It is well known that none of the world's airlines have the competence to issue permission to start or stop flights in this or that country. All this is regulated by the government agreement on air traffic between the two countries. We, like all other companies, are obliged to comply with the decisions made by the Government of Georgia.

As for me personally, since 2003 I am neither the founder nor the general director of Georgian Airways, I have only held the position of the head of the flight service.

Based on all of the above, I believe that the inclusion of me or the airline Georgian Airways in the list of those sanctioned by Ukraine is absurd and unfair.

I would also like to express my concern that this decision has a political content. Airlines of Turkey, Arab states, Israel, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Asia and Central Asia operate flights to Russia, they perform hundreds of flights. But they cannot dare to sanction them. Neither I nor Georgian Airways have anything to do with politics. We have been faithfully serving the Georgian people and the Georgian government for thirty years.

In conclusion, I hope that this unjust and groundless decision of the President of Ukraine will be followed by an immediate and mirror response of the Government of Georgia," Tamaz Gaiashvili announced.

For information, according to the decree of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Georgian airline Georgian Airways, which restored direct flights with the Russian Federation, has been sanctioned.