Georgian PM stresses “unequivocal” position on “no flights” involving sanctioned Russian aircraft to country

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday maintained no flights involving aircraft under international sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would be allowed in Georgia, following the Russian Government’s decision on Wednesday to lift its ban on flights with Georgia.

Garibashvili said in comments to media his Government’s position was “unequivocal [that] flights with sanctioned aircraft will not be carried out. This will happen only with planes and companies not under sanctions”.

The PM also told the press there was “no problem with air transport” with Russia and cited 130 weekly flights between Azerbaijan and the country, as well as 100 between Israel and Russia. “I want to reassure our true friends in Europe and everywhere - these are economic and trade relations”, he said.

The flights [between Georgia and Russia] had been suspended since 2019. We had not suspended the flights - it was Russia's decision - and since then the flights had not been operated”, he pointed out.

The Government head also said the restoration of flights would remove the “major inconvenience and great expense” Georgian nationals faced during absence of air connections with Russia.

Our citizens, travelling through Belarus or Armenia, Azerbaijan [or] Turkey, had to wait for hours and pay two to three times more for their tickets. This [was] a major inconvenience and great expense”, he said, pointing out “one million ethnic Georgians” lived in Russia and it was “very important” to facilitate movement between the countries. 

This is a positive fact and a positive decision”, the PM said.

Garibashvili also noted the former United National Movement Government had cancelled visa requirements with Russia in 2012, after the 2008 war between the countries.

“I want to remind our public that [former President] Saakashvili unilaterally, without demanding anything from Russia at all [...] after the August war - when we lost 20 percent of the territories and Russia built bases [on the territory of Georgia] - [...] came out and unilaterally cancelled the visa requirement [with Russia]”, he told the media.

“Instead of showing some reasonable state policy and taking a stand, or requesting visa-free travel [from Russia in return], [the Georgian Government] unilaterally, without any conditions, removed the visa requirement”, he said in his criticism.