Azerbaijani truck drivers transiting through Georgia have been unable to clear customs for several weeks. They report that their trucks are being held at the Sarpi and Red Bridge border crossings, as well as at the customs clearance center in Tbilisi, without any official explanation regarding the reasons.

One driver, Teymur Sultanov, said he has been at the customs facility for 15 days.

"They tell us only one thing: 'Wait.' When I ask for the reason, they don't answer. No one explains what the problem is—whether it’s the documents, the cargo, or the weight," he said.

Another driver, Eldeniz Mammadliyev, claims to have spent about 45 days in Georgia. He says customs officers inspected his truck, confiscated his documents and phone, and later returned some of the documents without explanation while leaving the vehicle in the parking area.

"If the problem is the cargo, unload it and let me go. But no one explains anything," the driver said, baffled.

According to the carriers, following the inspection, additional document requirements were imposed; these included a request for a permit from Georgia's Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, followed by a demand for a Georgian translation of that permit. The cargo owner stated that the permit had actually been issued back in 2023 and that similar shipments using the same documentation had previously proceeded without issues.

The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Georgia stated that it is monitoring the situation. The diplomatic mission has submitted an inquiry to the Georgian Foreign Ministry and noted that the matter is currently being addressed in coordination with Georgian state authorities.