President calls for annulment of National Bank’s “Russian decision” over sanctions

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Sunday called for the annulment of a “Russian decision” by the country’s National Bank last week that exempted Georgian citizens of international sanctions without the judgment of domestic courts. 

 

The President’s post came following the US sanctioning of Otar Partskhaladze, a former Prosecutor General in 2013 for alleged cooperation with the Russian FSB, and the Bank’s move, which according to the domestic opposition and NGOs, gave time to the former Georgian Dream official to re-register his properties and carry out transactions. 

 

Following the Georgian Justice Ministry’s confirmation of Partskhaladze’s Russian citizenship last week, as mentioned  by the US State Department, Zourabichvili refused to instantly terminate his Georgian citizenship, claiming by the decision she was “allowing” domestic agencies to hold Partskhaladze accountable as the Georgian citizen and “restore” the country’s image. 

 

The President also claimed the NBG’s decision and the Partskhaladze’s case could create threats to Georgia’s  European integration ahead of the block’s forthcoming decision whether to grant Tbilisi its candidacy later this year.