The Business Association of Georgia (BAG), which brings together hundreds of entrepreneurial groups in the country, transferred 100,000 GEL ($31,000/€28,000) through Georgia’s Red Cross Society in support of Ukraine on Wednesday.

The 2009-founded association, which involves around 100 holding groups in Georgia, said “at times like this it is especially important to unite around a common idea,” adding the organisation was “grateful” for its members participation in the move.

It is our duty to speak out loudly for an unconditional and timely cessation of hostilities, and to create a peaceful and secure environment for citizens of Ukraine,” the association’s statement said. 

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The initiative follows the announcement by state programme Produce in Georgia on Monday that revealed its “large-scale campaign” under the #produceforukraine hashtag, designed to provide Ukrainian citizens in Georgia with products of high necessity. 

Georgia has provided aid worth one million GEL ($315,000/€279,000) to Ukraine, with the Georgian Post also announcing it would deliver humanitarian parcels to Ukrainian citizens free of charge.

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Additionally, Georgian citizens and businesses have started to offer free overnight accommodation and other types of assistance to Ukrainians in the country through social media groups since the breakout of the war, while the Georgian National Tourism Administration launched a hotline for the purpose, reachable through the number 0 800 800 909. 

Russia began its military assault on Ukraine last week, after President Putin’s announcement of the recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk on February 21.

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