Lavrov praises Georgian government for 'resisting Western pressure'

Lavrov on Georgian government

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised the Georgian government at his last press conference of 2022, saying the country was “resisting pressure from the West.”

“We see that Georgia, like almost all other countries, is under pressure from the West, which requires them to join the sanctions against Russia. And the fact that a small country and its government have the courage to declare that they will be guided by their own interests and the interests of their own economy deserves respect,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov expressed hope for a speedy restoration of direct flights with Georgia and added that the 10% growth in the Georgian economy is largely due to its connection with Russia:

“I am glad that relations between our people are developing. I was told that last year Georgia’s gross domestic product increased by 10%, mainly due to tourism and trade with Russia. I hope that in the near future we will be able to restore direct flights.”

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This is not the first time that high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation have praised the Georgian authorities for their attitude towards Ukraine and the West.

On March 25 of last year, Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Russian Council Committee on International Affairs, praised the Georgian government for its position on the Ukrainian issue. Karasin called Georgia’s reaction to the anti-Russian sanctions of the West “balanced” and stressed that “this fact will not go unnoticed” in Russia.

Karasin analyzed the history of Russian-Georgian relations. He said that since 2012, after the ruling Georgian Dream party came to power, Russia has become Georgia’s second most important trading partner. According to him, all restrictions on Georgian goods were lifted and Georgia’s exports to Russia increased fourteen times.

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A few months ago the Russian government published a list of unfriendly countries that does not include Georgia. According to the Kremlin, Russian individuals and companies will be able to repay their debts to creditors who are “unfriendly states” in Russian rubles.

In February, Georgia did not join the sanctions imposed by the West against Russia in support of Ukraine. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that Georgia will not join the Western sanctions against Russia, as this is contrary to the country’s national interests and the sanctions cannot stop the hostilities in Ukraine.

Lavrov on Georgian government