The reactions we've seen from some of your MPs and members of government after the unilateral decision by Russia to restore the flights are a concern for us, - NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina told reporters.
According to him, he conveyed a message to the Georgian authorities that although partners understand that it was a unilateral decision by Moscow, but the reaction from Georgia should be supportive of Ukraine as much as possible.
“We are absolutely committed with our open door policy and with the decisions we took in Bucharest in 2008. And therefore we are absolutely committed with Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Georgia. At the same time, we've been saying that, and I've been saying since I took office almost a couple of years ago, there are reforms that this country should implement and there is a strong concern about the level of implementation of reforms, the rhythm and sometimes the substance, for example, as it was with regard to the foreign agents law…
Some reactions like the ones we've been seeing in the last days after the unilateral decision by Russia to restore the flights, the reactions that we've been reading and seeing are a concern for us. I have conveyed that message to your authorities. We understand that it was a unilateral decision by Moscow, but the reaction from Georgia should be supportive of Ukraine as much as possible. It's a critical moment and we actually believe that this is sort of reactions that could cast a shadow over the potential evasion of sanctions by Russia at a particular moment. So we need to be very clear. We need to be all behind Ukraine. That's what we expect from Georgia and from every other partner. And reactions as the ones we've been reading are, of course, a concern for us and we have conveyed that to your authorities.
Our position is a position of concern. We don't like such a decision by Moscow, but that was a unilateral decision. The concern goes more along the lines of the reactions we've seen from some of your MPs and members of government, because it's a critical moment to continue to support Ukraine, as I said, it is a priority for all of us and it should be a priority for our partners as well, and also because it creates some space for potential evasion of sanctions by Russia.
We've been talking with your authorities about the work they've been doing to actually avoid the evasion of sanctions. They've been doing a very good job in many aspects, but the reaction we've seen are at least casting a shadow over the potentiality of Russia finding some space here to evade sanctions. So we've been quite clear that it shouldn't happen and we have encouraged your authorities to take the proper measures to avoid that”, said Javier Colomina.
