On August 17, the Russian Interests’ Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tbilisi announced that “regular postal shipments Moscow-Tbilisi which resumed on July 7 are becoming a popular channel of direct communication between our countries”.
According to the information published by the Section, in less than 1.5 months the total weight of mail transported by the Russian airline Azimuth amounted to 4.6 tons. Moreover, the Russian Interests’ Section makes a prediction that “in anticipation of an escalation in flight frequency and geographical coverage, the volume of air distribution is also expected to grow, serving a wide range of consumers. In the near future, this figure could rise to 6 tons per month.”
On July 27, Jim C. O’Brien, the U.S. Sanctions Coordinator, addressed the potential danger of direct flights between Georgia and Russia becoming a means of circumventing sanctions. With regard to Georgia, he specifically noted: ” Regarding Georgia he in particular noted: “They’re good partners, they’re transparent about what they see and the question now is can we have better data going forward and can we have a clear eye on the flights that have recently resumed between Georgia and Russia”. He said though, that it is still possible to evade sanctions and stressed: “…We want to make sure what’s going on those planes on the way back to Russia.”
The ban on Russian airline flights to Georgia was lifted on May 15, 2023. The relevant decree was signed by President Vladimir Putin. Notably, the direct air links between Russia and Georgia were cut off in July 2019, a decision taken unilaterally by Moscow following the anti-Russian protests in Tbilisi.
Source: Civil.Ge
