Parliament Committee Chair says Russia lifting flight ban, visa requirements for Georgians designed to “create obstacles” for European integration
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday responded to Russia’s move to lift its ban on flights with Georgia and visa requirements for the country’s citizens. Photo: Maka Botchorishvili’s Twitter
Tweet 
Share
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday responded to the Russian Government lifting its ban on flights with Georgia and visa requirements for citizens of the country by saying the moves were designed to “create obstacles” for Georgia’s European integration.
Published on Wednesday, the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree introduced 90-day visa-free travel for Georgian citizens starting from May 15, while another decree resumed air travel between the two countries.
Botchorishvili said the development was part of a longer-term policy for the objective, and slammed a part of domestic opposition who had alleged a role of the Georgian Dream ruling party in the decision by saying the Georgian Government could not be held responsible for Moscow’s actions.
It is incomprehensible to place the blame for Putin’s decisions on the Georgian Government”, Botchorishvili said, before criticising the opposition for “harming state interests” amid “serious challenges” and a “complicated geopolitical situation” for the country.
She alleged the opposition was “either harming the national interests intentionally” or was unable to “properly realise” the challenges Georgia faced on the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
We need to act prudently when it comes to such decisions by Russia”, the lawmaker added.
Flights between Russia and Georgia had been suspended by the former in response to rallies in the Georgian capital in 2019, sparked by the incident in which a Russian MP took the seat of the Georgian Parliament Speaker in the lawmaking body during an international religious conference, amid the ongoing occupation of Georgian territories by Russia.
The previous Georgian Government introduced a visa regime with Russia following the latter’s invasion of Georgia in 2008, before the former President Mikheil Saakashvili revoked it unilaterally in 2012.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that if Tbilisi ‘stops using Russia as a card to maintain western support’ Moscow is ready to restore ties with Georgia which were suspended after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Flights between Georgia and Russia have been banned starting today following the recent decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ban on flights was announced after protesters in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi tried to storm the Georgian parliament on June 20 when a Russian MP addressed a forum of politicians at the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy from the speaker’s chair.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gregory Karasin says that the Russian government was ready to abolish visa requirements for Georgia. However, the protests in Tbilisi, which were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament, postponed the possibility, he said.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, on Wednesday, said Georgia remained committed to its policy regarding international sanctions against Russia, imposed on the country for its invasion of Ukraine and would continue “close cooperation” with its partners after the Russian Government lifted its ban on flights with Georgia and visa requirements for citizens of the country.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, on Wednesday, responded to the Russian Government lifting its ban on flights with Georgia and visa requirements for citizens of the country by saying it was a “sole decision” of official Moscow and the Georgian side “could not have any influence” on it.
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday, said the delay in granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status, which the country deserved to obtain last year, led to Russia’s “activation” and its decision to lift a ban on flights with Georgia and revoke visa requirements for citizens of the country.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili, on Wednesday, responded to the Russian Government’s decision to lift its ban on flights with Georgia and visa requirements for citizens of the country by saying that sanctioned airlines and ships would not be able to operate in Georgia, while unsanctioned ones would have an opportunity to perform direct flights.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said Russian aircraft sanctioned by the international community following the country’s invasion of Ukraine would not be allowed to enter Georgian airspace, in response to the Russian Government's move on Wednesday to resume direct flights with Georgia.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday called on the Georgian Government to convene a Security Council meeting and discuss imposing a visa requirement for Russian citizens, after the Russian President on Wednesday announced his Government was revoking visas for Georgian nationals.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said the Italian Government had pledged support for her country’s authorities in their implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union last year for granting its membership candidate status to Georgia.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said formation of “efficient” supply chains and promotion of transport connectivity across the Eurasian continent were of “strategic importance” for Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said Russia had “unilaterally resumed” direct flights with Georgia in May, and “no formal talks” had been held on the topic with Moscow, in response to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s comments on the topic earlier this week.