Georgian Maritime Transport Agency denies speculation that Georgia was involved in the Beirut blast

| News, Georgia

On 6 August, the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency (MTA) responded to conjecture in the international press concerning the explosion on 4 August in Beirut, Lebanon (Caucasus Watch reported), noting it is not known whether the ammonium nitrate stored in the city’s port was imported from Georgia, reported agenda.ge. Moreover, the MTA noted, transportation and storage of received cargo are the responsibility of importing countries. 

“In September of 2013, the Moldovian-flagged ship Rhosus was detained after a Port Security Service inspection in Beirut, which found a number of violations... The company that owned the ship declared itself bankrupt and abandoned the ship, crew members and cargo at the port of Beirut. Georgian citizens were not among the crew members. Later the cargo was unloaded and stored at the port of Beirut,” read  the official statement of MTA. 

Rustavi Azot LLC, one of the largest Georgian exporters of ammonium nitrate, said that the company was under different management at the time when the ammonium nitrate may have been exported to Lebanon. The company also states that they have no exact information as to where and when the chemical supply in question was manufactured. They also noted that the ammonium nitrate cargo in question had been stored in Beirut since 2013, which is a violation of safety storage standards for the chemical.

See Also

"Caucasus Watch" seeks local specialists from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the North Caucasus region. We offer a flexible format of cooperation, competitive remuneration and access to a European readership. Send CV, cover letter and writing sample to redaktion@caucasuswatch.de. Questions: i.dostalik@caucasuswatch.de

Our website uses cookies. By clicking on "I accept cookies", you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of our Cookie Policy. If you want to disable cookies follow the instructions in our Cookie Policy so that cookies from this website cannot be placed on your device.