The oil terminal at the Georgian port of Kulevi has been excluded from the draft 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia. EU Special Representative for Sanctions David O'Sullivan informed Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili of this, according to Georgia's Channel One.

According to the channel, in February, the EU received documents from the Georgian Foreign Ministry regarding the sanctions package under discussion. O'Sullivan's letter, cited by 1tv.ge, states that the possibility of including the port of Kulevi in ​​the sanctions list was initially considered due to its role in maritime transportation of Russian oil and the calls of tankers from the so-called "shadow fleet."

"This initial position was revised after your authorities and the port operator made positive commitments. "I welcome your assurances that Georgia will not allow vessels subject to EU sanctions to call at or service your ports," the letter's author explained.

Furthermore, the letter notes that the owner of the oil terminal at the port of Kulevi, the Azerbaijani state-owned company SOCAR, "has also committed to strictly adhering to the relevant EU sanctions, including the price cap and the EU ban on imports of Russian crude oil and petroleum products."

These commitments, according to the EU Special Representative, played a decisive role in the assessment process "and ultimately led to the exclusion of the port of Kulevi from Package 20."

O'Sullivan also thanked the Georgian authorities for refusing to allow access to the port for the Russian tanker M/T Truvor (IMO 9676230), which is subject to Ukrainian sanctions for transporting Russian oil.

According to the ship tracking service Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the tanker departed Novorossiysk on December 14. Its itinerary then included the Georgian ports of Poti (December 16-19) and Kulevi (December 19-21). In early March, the ship approached the port of Batumi, where it currently resides.

In February, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the European Commission had been provided with complete and reliable information on the port of Kulevi's activities, confirming compliance with the sanctions regime. This statement came amid discussions of the 20th EU sanctions package against Russia, which, according to media reports, may include the Georgian port. The head of government emphasized that Tbilisi expects an objective assessment of the materials presented.