Zourabichvili: Georgia Cooperates with U.S. over Arms Trade Case

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said at a news conference on March 16 that one Georgian was among those 18 suspects, arrested by the FBI for alleged arms smuggling in the United States, adding that the Georgian law enforcers have already ?answered questions? of the FBI regarding this case.

She did not say the name of the Georgian citizen; however the New York Post reported that the arrested Georgian is Joseb Kharabadze, 52.

The New York Times reported quoting the U.S. attorney in Manhattan David Kelley as saying that the group allegedly intended to buy weapons primarily from the Russian military, but also from sellers linked to the armed forces in Ukraine and Georgia.

“Our special services have already answered the questions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation about the number of arms. As far as we know, the weapons are Russian-made, but I have no information about how these arms were brought to Georgia. That is why we are demanding resumption of Georgia’s control on the Roki Tunnel [linking breakaway South Ossetia with Russia] and on other places. This is necessary not only for security of Georgia, but for any other country where these weapons can be brought,” Zourabichvili said without any further elaboration.

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