Russia says no plans to block Georgia oil port

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian warships are not planning to block shipments of oil from Georgia’s Black Sea port of Poti, but reserve the right to search ships coming to and from it, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Sunday.

“I know nothing about any plan to block the shipments,” he told a news briefing, responding to remarks by Georgian officials. “In fact the fact that ships are being stopped and searched does not mean there is a blockade.”

“When it’s war we should be very careful about what cargoes are arriving in and leaving Georgia,” he added.