Ruling party head labels opposition calls to impose visa requirements for Russian, Belarusian citizens “xenophobia”, evokes UNM Gov’t decision to lift visa restrictions for Russian citizens
In his comments over the matter Kobakhidze stressed that there was no place for “xenophobia” in Georgia. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
Tweet 
Share
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday rejected the calls of the Lelo for Georgia opposition party for imposing visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens to prevent security threats in Georgia on the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine by calling it a “deliberate, xenophobic campaign that is absolutely disgraceful”.
In his comments over the matter Kobakhidze stressed that there was no place for “xenophobia” in Georgia.
[I] will remind that after the August war [the 2008 war with Russia], the previous [United National Movement] Government introduced a visa-free travel for Russian citizens, and today the same people call on us to impose restrictions, sanctions, and so on. It is a xenophobia and of course we will have a tough response to this xenophobia”, the GD official said.
This is a deliberate, xenophobic campaign that is absolutely disgraceful. It does not fit into any standards. If someone wants to be European, they cannot prove it with xenophobia”, he concluded in his comments.
Russia unilaterally introduced the visa regime with Georgia in December 2000 to “prevent terrorsim threats”, claiming that thousands of refugees and fighters had fled from Chechnya to Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge during the second Chechen war (1999-2000).
Georgia suspended diplomatic relations with Russia following the Russia-Georgia 2008 war and cancelled visa-free movement with the neighbouring country. However, Tbilisi lifted the restriction starting March 1, 2012, while Georgians still need a visa to visit Russia.
In its statement earlier this week, the Lelo for Georgia party said that the “uncontrolled influx” of Russian and Belarusian citizens to Georgia on the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine, was a “serious security challenge to Georgia '' amid continuous occupation of Georgian territories by Russia.
Irakli Zarkua, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, has called on opposition parties in Georgia to avoid "acting like the fifth column" in the country amid the crisis of the war in Ukraine.
Calls by the Lelo for Georgia opposition party to impose visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens serve the goal of dragging Georgia into Russia’s war in Ukraine, ruling Georgian Dream party MP Anri Okhanashvili said on Thursday in remarks that also reminded the opposition that the visa requirement with Russia had been lifted by the former President Mikheil Saakashvili while in office.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the Georgian Government would “always work” to ensure restoration of its territorial integrity and unification of “sisters and brothers” across the occupation line, but the objective would not be accomplished through war.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze on Wednesday said the recent initiative of the Lelo for Georgia opposition party, which called on the Government to impose visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens to prevent security threats on the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine, would have a negative impact on domestic tourism.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said involvement of Georgia in the military conflict amid Russia's war in Ukraine would bring the “most severe consequences to our country and its citizens”, and stressed the Government would "do everything" to prevent the country from being "dragged into war".
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday called on the public to disassociate themselves from a “discriminatory campaign” against Russian citizens in Georgia, claiming the “sole purpose” of speculation on number of Russian nationals entering the country and calls for imposing visa requirement for them was “to turn Georgia into a second front” amid the war in Ukraine, and adding xenophobia and chauvinism “has never been and will never be” a part of Georgian culture.
Anri Okhanashvili, a ruling Georgian Dream party MP and the Head of Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, said on Friday denying travellers entry to Georgia for their nationality was “wrong”, in comments on recent calls by the domestic opposition to impose visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens on the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Iago Khvichia, an MP from the Girchi opposition party, on Friday backed comments by Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, that highlighted calls for imposing visa requirements on Russian citizens were coming from opposition members who had ruled to lift visa rules on Russian nationals while in power as part of the United National Movement Government in 2011.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the country would “not start a war against Russia” and “does not get involved in the Russia-Ukraine war”, stressing the “influx” of visitors to Georgia in the wake of the conflict's outbreak was welcomed.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said “any demand” of snap Parliamentary elections being held in the country was “completely irrelevant”.