UK Ambassador summoned after sanctions on Georgian officials, Foreign Ministry expresses concerns

The Georgian Foreign Ministry summoned UK Ambassador Gareth Ward following the United Kingdom’s decision to impose sanctions on high-ranking Georgian officials, including Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri.

Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili met with the ambassador, expressing Georgia’s concerns over the sanctions, which target Gomelauri and four other senior officials.

According to the ministry, Botchorishvili emphasized that such actions harm the friendship between the two nations and called for an objective and impartial assessment of Georgia’s internal processes.
The meeting concluded with an expression of hope that relations between the Georgian and UK foreign ministries would regain positive momentum.

The sanctions, imposed by the UK on December 19, cited the officials’ alleged responsibility for violent actions against journalists and peaceful demonstrators. The sanctioned individuals include:

Vakhtang Gomelauri – Minister of Internal Affairs
Aleksandre Darakhvelidze – First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
Sulkhan Tamazashvili – Director of the Tbilisi Police Department
Zviad Kharazishvili – Head of the Special Tasks Department
Milleri Lagazauri – Deputy Head of the Special Tasks Department