Ruling party head points at former Gov’t’s visa-free travel adoption with Russia in response to criticism on flights

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday responded to criticism by domestic opposition and the United States Embassy over the restoration of direct flights between Georgia and Russia by pointing to the adoption of visa-free travel for Russian citizens by the former Government of Georgia following the 2008 war between the countries.

Kobakhidze was speaking following the Kremlin’s lifting last week of its ban on flights with Georgia, imposed in 2019 following protests in Tbilisi against the Russian Government.

The move has been followed by at least one Russian airline receiving the permit to carry passengers to Georgia starting on Friday, with a part of the domestic opposition and the US Ambassador in Georgia questioning the restoration of direct air connections.

In his comments, Kobakhidze said the former United National Movement Government introduced visa-free travel for Russian citizens following the five-day conflict in 2008, adding the then-President Mikheil Saakashvili had gone “directly to the Georgia-Russia border and boasted that he hosted Russian citizens in Georgia”.

Now, when this political force [UNM] tries to speculate on the restoration of flights, they are ordinary speculators and enemies of the state”, Kobakhidze said, while stressing domestic authorities would ensure airlines sanctioned for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would not be allowed to operate at Georgian airports.

“We have heard statements from foreigners that sanctioned companies should not be accepted. We, of course, take this into account and sanctioned planes [and] companies will not be accepted. Therefore, our approach will be in line with the situation that is established at the international level”, the ruling party official noted.