Repsol, which operates in the Georgian market through a network of filling stations under the Connect brand, has released an official statement confirming that fuel subsequently supplied to occupied Abkhazia was indeed purchased from them. However, according to the statement, Solidus LLC, the company that handled the delivery, did not coordinate the details of further petroleum product sales with them.
The company stated: “The specified shipment was carried out under contractual obligations, and we plan no further deliveries to Solidus LLC.”
“Amid recent complex geopolitical challenges, the company has managed to maintain a stable supply chain for the Georgian population and offer European fuel at the best price through its Connect network of filling stations.
We wish to emphasize that, as part of wholesale and corporate sales, the company supplies petroleum products to more than 3,000 Georgian enterprises in strict compliance with Georgian legislation and international norms.
This year, Solidus LLC purchased gasoline from the company, paid for the products, and is exporting them in stages. Where Solidus LLC sells the purchased petroleum products is not coordinated with us and falls outside the scope of our responsibility. We additionally note that, according to information available to us, Solidus LLC obtained a special permit to conduct economic activity in the occupied territory of Georgia, specifically in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
We wish to state clearly that Repsol LLC fully complies with Georgian law and international standards. In this regard, we urge the media to refrain from disseminating unverified and inaccurate information that could mislead the public,” the company’s statement reads.
According to Solidus owner Giorgi Arveladze, 400 tons of fuel have already been delivered to occupied Abkhazia. In an interview with BM.GE, he noted that fuel shipments to the region would continue until the crisis is resolved and consumer demand for the product persists. Furthermore, transactions for the fuel trade are settled in Georgian lari.
“Yesterday, we transported an additional 100 tons; to date, a total of 400 tons has already been delivered… The reality there is somewhat different. The market is not yet as structured and organized as it is here… Private gas stations operate there—much like it was in Georgia 20 years ago. One family owns three stations, another four, a third five, and so on. It is a sanctioned zone, and the only organized network there right now is Russia’s Rosneft.
Everything else consists of small filling stations and retailers who were left completely without fuel because Russia supplies Rosneft with raw materials in small batches—due to existing quotas, delivering large volumes is impossible. Residents of the Gali and Ochamchire districts were left without gasoline precisely because they rely on small stations. The settlements were made in lari. They cross the boundary line, exchange money, and bring the funds in the national currency,” Arveladze noted.
As a reminder, on August 12, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze confirmed that fuel had been supplied to occupied Abkhazia from territory controlled by official Tbilisi. According to him, this was carried out by private business rather than the government, and in strict compliance with the provisions of the Law on Occupied Territories.
Nonetheless, part of the opposition expressed concern that the fuel delivered to Abkhazia might have actually been destined for Russia.