The European Union has not included the Kulevi oil terminal in Georgia in its 20th package of sanctions against Russia.

The decision was announced in a letter by David O’Sullivan, the EU’s special representative for sanctions, to the Georgian Foreign Minister, Maka Bochorishvili. The letter was initially reported by pro-government Georgian media and Russian state news agencies. The letter is dated March 5.

According to O’Sullivan’s letter, the “position was revised” after the Georgian authorities and the port operator made a number of commitments. In particular, they plan to prevent sanctioned ships from entering or servicing the port.

“The inclusion of the port of Kulevi in Georgia was initially considered in the 20th package of sanctions due to its role in the maritime transportation of Russian oil and the entry of 'shadow fleet' tankers into the port. This initial position was revised after your government and the port operator made positive commitments. “I welcome your commitment that Georgia will not allow EU-sanctioned vessels to enter or be serviced at its ports,” the letter says.

According to which, SOCAR also committed to acting in strict compliance with relevant EU sanctions, including the EU import ban on Russian crude oil and petroleum products, subject to a ceiling price.

Kulevi has recently been in the international spotlight due to possible EU sanctions for "high-risk shipping practices" of Russian oil. In late February, when the EU failed to agree on a 20th package of sanctions against Russia due to opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, German Ambassador Peter Fischer said that the inclusion of the port of Kulevi in the new package of sanctions was not based solely on suspicions and that there was evidence. Tbilisi later said that it had provided the European Commission with full information regarding Kulevi.

“We have provided the European Commission with full information regarding Kulevi, and this information confirms that the sanctions regime is not being violated in Kulevi. This is undisputed information that we have shared with the European Union. Therefore, we hope that Kulevi will not be included in the sanctions package,” Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists on February 23. He also explained that the raw materials entering Kulevi “are exported after processing, and the sanctions regime is not being violated.”